Fall 2011 Season Preview

How can it possibly be season preview time again?  Time flies when you’re blogging 15 shows for two websites, I suppose. Full previews are below the fold. Please check the sidebar and vote for your most anticipated series in the poll.

Summer has been a good one, especially by summer standards, and Fall looks pretty decent going in.  There are an inordinate number of sequels, but many of them are from series I like – so I’m somewhat ambivalent about that.  In principle I always prefer new series to sequels, but I can’t complain when a show I love gets another season.

As usual, I only preview the series that interest me going in – and as usual, a couple I don’t preview will likely end up surprising me and being keepers.  If I preview it, you can assume I’ll watch the first few eps and fo a “First Impressions”, and may blog it if time allows and I like it enough.  I only count 29 shows total (though I’m sure I’m missing a few) which is a very light count by Fall standards – considerably less than Summer, in fact.  By the simple law of averages less series means less good series, theoretically, so Fall might be a little lighter for bloggable show than Summer was.   There are also only two multi-cour series carrying over from the Summer for me, which is a decline from last season.  Does that mean I’ll be blogging less shows?  Too early to say, but it might not be a bad thing for me if it did…

Without further ado, Fall 2011:

Fall2011Guiltycrown Guilty Crown – Production I.G.
Director: Tetsurou Araki  Preview:

Without question, this NoitaminA series is one of the most anticipated of the Fall season.  It’s been a while since I.G. has done a big, sci-fi epic and since NoitaminA has done a two-cour series.  Tetsurou is a big name, having done the good (Death Note) and the bad (HSotD).  Though I’m not wowed by the director or premise this is a definite blog for me, unless it shockingly disappoints.

Fall2011Un-go UN-GO – BONES
Director: Mizushima Seiji Preview:

NoitaminA and BONES, so another default blog for me.  Mizushima in a veteran of BONES (FMA) and beyond (Oh! Edo Rocket) and has proved he can do brilliant work with the right material.  Based on the novels of Ango Sakaguchi, this is an interesting near-future mystery series with eye-catching character designs from Pako and Kouga Yun.  Scripter Aikawa Shou is also a rock-solid veteran.  My early bet is that this will be the better series than Guilty Crown.

Fall2011Hunter Hunter X Hunter 2011 – MADHOUSE
Director: Koujina Hiroshi

A reboot of one of the most popular shounen titles ever, based on a long-running Jump manga and 1999 TV series.  I didn’t watch the original but my recent experience with Hikaru no Go has taught me not to dismiss well-regarded shounen chestnuts.  The cast and staff are new (doesn’t concern me) and there are early indications from MADHOUSE that this is going to be a more “family-friendly” version (concerns me very much).  I don’t like sanitized material on principle, but I’ll certainly watch.  Koujina’s track record is surprisingly sparse for a 48 year-old, so not much to go on there.  If nothing else, it’s nice to see MADHOUSE doing something besides mediocre American comic book adaptations.

Fall2011Chihaya Chihayafuru – MADHOUSE
Director: Asaka Morio  Preview:

Based on a josei manga by Suetsugu Yuki, this one looks like a potential sleeper.  Seems like an interesting coming-of-age story, which also follows an old Japanese game called Hyakunin Ishhu.  This seems to be the season of veteran directors, and Asaka has done some interesting work – Chobits, Rozen Maiden, NANA, and CCS among others.  I like the character designs and art as well.

Fall2011Kyoukaisenjou Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon – Sunrise
Director: Ono Manabu  Preview:

Yet another sprawling sci-fi epic from Sunrise.  The plot is complex and even convoluted – population flees a devastated Earth and starts over from 10,000 BC on another planet, eventually forced to return to an Earth where they’re not necessarily welcome.  It’s definitely Sunrise – it looks “fabulous” and a bit tiresome and self-important.  I’ll give it a chance but my instincts are this might not be my cup of tea.  Nothing too exciting in director Ono’s dossier.  Big name cast (Fukuyama Jun, Morinaga Rika, etc.).

Fall2011persona Persona 4 – the Animation – AIC A.S.T.A.
Director: Seiji Kishi  Preview:

I don’t quite get the fascination with the Persona franchise, which is a powerhouse spreading across many mediums, incarnations, and years.  I tried the Persona 3 anime and just couldn’t get through it.  But I’ll give it a chance on the assumption that I’m missing something, and the fact that I quite like director Seiji’s work – he’s hitting it out of the park with Kamisama Dolls this season. 

Fall2011ShinryakuIkaMusumu Shinryaku? Ika Musume – Diomedea
Director: Yamamoto Yasutaka  Preview:

Yay – Ika is back, ~degeso!  The original series was an absolute charmer, coming out of nowhere to be one of the best series of 2010.  Very silly, constantly inventive and often quite touching, last year’s adaptation of Anbe Masahiro’s manga was a complete win.  The only concern is the change to Yamamoto, a real unknown, as director, but I’m reassured that Mizushima Tsutomu returns as Chief Director to oversee the second season.  I fully expected this sequel, as this was one of the surprise hits of 2010 and probably Diomedea’s biggest success ever, but it’s still nice to see it come to pass.  One of my top picks for Fall.

Fall2011MakenKi Maken-Ki – AIC
Director: Ohata Koichi  Preview:

Based on a romance manga by Takeda Hiromitsu.  No cast announced yet, this looks like a pretty standard premise – boy enrolls at elite magic/combat school, harem (with all requisite character tropes) forms around him.  It might be a throwaway, but character designer Yuuki Nobuteru (Wings of Honneamise, X, Escaflowne, etc.)is a true industry legend and series writer Kuroda Yosuke has done some good work.

Fall2011Kimi Kimi to Boku – J.C. Staff
Director: Kanbe Mamoru  Preview:

Based on a manga by Hotta Kiichi.  Just on principle I’m rooting hard for this one – after a cavalcade of increasingly banal and derivative “four girls” school life shows, we finally get one about four guys.  Already announced for two split-cours, with the second run of 13 episodes to air in Spring 2012.  I’m hoping this works, because really good series about teenaged males that avoid the normal clichés and deal with the real issues about boys and adolescence and speak from the male perspective are rare indeed.  A strong cast features actual young males Irinu Miyu and Kouki Uchiyama. Not much to go on with Kanbe as director, and it’s J.C. Staff – always a worry.  Why isn’t this Brains Base or A-1, dammit?

Fall2011Mashiro Mashiro-Iro Symphony – Manglobe
Director: Suganuma Eiji  Preview:

Director Eiji (Kodomo no Jikan) brings us an adaptation of Palette’s adult romance game.  Boy becomes one of the first male students at an all girls school?  Been there, done that.  Nothing exciting here in the cast or crew or premise, really, but Manglobe can be interesting and I’ll give this an ep or two to capture my interest. 

Fall2011LastExile Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam – GONZO
Director: Chigira Kouchi  Preview:

I absolutely loved Last Exile – it was one of the series that cemented me a hard-core anime addict.  So why do I feel strangely ambivalent and uneasy about this sequel?  GONZO has been through the ringer, for starters, and after nearly folding they haven’t done much of note.  I’m disappointed that they’ve succumbed to the flavor of the week and switched to what appears to be an almost entirely female, moe-driven cast.  But at least we have impressive continuity behind the scenes, and a very strong seiyuu cast.  Let’s say I’m extremely hopeful but a little uneasy – I don’t want to see one of my dearest anime loves tarnished by an unwise updating.

Fall2011Phi Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle – Sunrise
Director: Sato Junichi  Preview:

Sunrise again, this time with a quirky premise about a high-school freshman nicknamed “Phi Brain” for being a genius at solving puzzles.  Two cours (25 eps), there’s clearly a supernatural element involving an underground “unsolvable” puzzle and a mysterious GPS of some sort.  Director Sato is yet another heavyweight with a huge résumé, including Aria.  Writer Mayori Sekijima has mostly done adaptations, so no clues there.  Slight sleeper vibes from me.

Fall2011Bakuman Bakuman Season 2 – J.C. Staff
Director: Kasai Kenichi

Pretty straightforward – the return of Bakuman after a six-month break, with the same cast and director.  If you liked the first season – and I did – you should like this one.  While some complained about the pacing and animation, I thought this was one of J.C. Staff’s better adaptations and I really enjoyed the nuts and bolts look at the manga industry, and the fairly deep emotional study of the characters.  Rumors abound that Shounen Jump is planning an adaptation of one of the fictional manga from the series, to be chosen by fan vote.

Fall2011Bokuwa Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai – AIC Build
Director: Saito Hisahi  Preview:

For many this represents their most anticipated series of the Fall.  Character designer Buriki (Denpa Onna) is justifiably praised for his gorgeous creations, and they look spectacular here.  I don’t know Hirasaka Yami’s LN series, but it seems to be quite well-liked.  Director Saito’s major work is the sometimes hilarious but uneven Sora no Otoshimono adaptations, but series writer Urahata Tatsuhiko (Monster, NANA, Aria) has a very solid track record.  Big-name cast includes KanaHana.  Half-Japanese/half-British blonde delinquent boy transfers into a new HS, scares people, then forms a club for kids with no friends?  I’m in.

Fall2011Shana Shakugan no Shana III (Final) – J.C. Staff
Director: Watanabe Takashi  Preview:

Same cast, same director, same studio.  I’ll watch, but “Shana” hasn’t done all that much for me since the first season, and even that was closer to very good than great.  My worry is that Shana’s arch-typical Kugimiya Rie tsundere has burned me out for this series, but I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.  You’ll watch anyway, so don’t mind me.

Fall2011C3 C3 – CubexCursedxCurious – Silver Link
Director: Oonuma Shin  Preview:

I tend to like Oonuma Shin’s work better than his mentor, Shinbo’s.  When he has strong material he can be great, as witness the first season of Baka-Test.  Based on a LN series by Minase Hazuki, the premise involves a HS boy named Yachi who receives a mysterious black cube from his father, traveling overseas, out of which pops a naked girl.  Ooookay.  Where it gets interesting is that character designer Sasorigatame is a noted hentai artist (including lolicon and shotacon) and the LNs supposedly include tons of graphic violence and gore.  Series writer Michiko Yokote can be great – Shinryaku Ika Musume, Oofuri, Hare Guu, Rurouni Kenshin.  This screams out a show that will either be great or a disaster to me, and I’m way too curious (heh) not to watch.

Fall2011ben-to Ben-To – David Productions
Director: Itagaki Shin  Preview:

I have a little Japanese market by my house that marks all their bentos and sushi/sashimi half-off every day at somewhere between 6:10 and 6:20 PM. I’ve been there and it reminds me of the running of the bulls at Pamplona, or a feeding frenzy by Piranhas – so a show about the “supermarket survival battle for half-priced bento” is a winner in my book.  David Productions haven’t done much, but what they’ve done has been very interesting. 

Fall2011Mirai Mirai Nikki – Asread
Director: Hosoda Naoto  Preview:

I wasn’t blown away by the short OVA from this same team that basically acted as a teaser for a possible anime, but I’m still pumped for this one.  This is absolutely a terrific manga by Sakae Esuno – scary, hilarious, fearless, tense and wonderfully paced.  Director Hosoda has only been the boss on the controversial second season of Minami-ke – “Okawari”, but writer Katsuhiko Takayama has done some terrific adaptations like Natsu no Arashi and Soredemo (as well as shotacon porn, oddly).  I desperately want this to live up to the manga, and unlike the last adaptation I felt that way about – Deadman Wonderland – this one is confirmed two cours, so should be able to get the job done.

fall2011working WORKING’!! – A-1 Pictures
Director: Ootsuki Atsushi  Preview:

I adored the first season of this almost as much as Shinryaku Ika Musume, so this is a definite no-brainer follow for me.  Slight worry is a change in director, and with Kanokon being the big name in Ootsuki’s résumé that’s a legit worry.  Series writer has changed too, and all of this is a bit baffling considering how successful S1 was.  I loved the zany, frequently hilarious profile of young adults in menial jobs – it was stunningly accurate in many ways.  Of course, the one flaw in S1 was overly focusing on the least likeable character, Inami, and playing up the romance angle at the expense of the other characters and storylines from the manga – so maybe that will actually be better this time around.

fall2011working Fate/Zero – UFOTABLE
Director: Ei Aoki Preview:

EDIT: OK, I know I left some popular choices out because they just aren’t my thing. But this is Urobuchi Gen, directed by the director of Hourou Musuko, and has 800 posts on AS so I guess I can’t ignore it. Some people hated the first series and some loved it, but I know nothing about F/SN or Type Moon and I don’t have time to study. Do I need to know all that before I watch this? Someone convince me why I need to follow this show!

Will Definitely Blog:  Mirai Nikki, Last Exile, Shinryaku? Ika Musume, WORKING’!!, UN-GO, Guilty Crown, Bakuman

OVA/Movies:
A relatively busy quarter on the OVA front.  In addition to shorts for many series such as Ikoku Meiro and Baka Test, we get full-length Higurashi (two – may they be better than the last one), Hakuouki (two OVAs), Yozakura Quartet (an excellent OVA so far), and Infinite Stratos among others.

On the theatrical side, we have a fairly slow Fall.  New Prince of Tennis, Mardock Scramble and Suite Precure don’t set the pulse quickening for me.  The most exciting release looks to be Brains Base’s Hotarubi no Mori e (trailer), from the writer (Yuki Midorikawa) and director (Takahiro Omori) of Natsume Yuujinchou.  It centers around a young girl who gets lost in a mystical forest, and the magical boy who appears before her.  Looks like classic Midorikawa – heartwarming, sad, and lovely to look at – and Omori is one of the best in the business.

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59 comments

  1. w

    Actually, if you check out the LE:Fam character page you can see the that two girls are basically the youngest characters (I suspect all the other kiddie characters will be minor characters) plus the cast so far seems to be pretty close to a 50-50 split gender-wise. Then again, you won't see me complaining if the series turns out to have a cast dominated by intelligent and capable female characters, I'll probably be too busy squeeing to say anything at all.
    http://www.lastexile-fam.com/chara.html

  2. A

    On the note of Persona 4, I'd like to mention that the anime you saw, Persona Trinity Soul, was a loose (a very very loose) sequel of the Persona 3 game. As far as I know, a lot of Persona fans actually hate that anime (I've never seen it before), so I'm not sure if it's a good judge of the series as a whole. However, Persona 4 is a direct adaption of it's game counterpart and is made by a different studio so it should be considerably different. I don't know if you'll like it, but I loved the game so I'm hoping the adaption will be just as good.

  3. @Anon – thanks, I knew that adaptation wasn't beloved by the fans. Can you give me a brief synopsis of why folks love this story so much?

    @W-D – squee away! I love intelligent and capable females (Balsa is in the top 5 chars ever), but I loved the Claus/Lavie chemistry in the first series. I also tend to think it's easier to find good females in anime who fit that description these days than it is males..

  4. W

    Maken, Mashiro, and Ben-to have me interested. The show I am definitely looking forward to is Boku wa Tomodachi (It has Denpa Onna art style wish I extremely like). I am half way through the first season of Shana and have not finished it for the past two months. Might finish watching Shana S1-S2+OVA this long weekend in one sitting. (Unlike you, Enzo. I am watching Shana in English.) I might just wait until Shana is completely dubbed whenver that happens. I am also going to give Kimi to Baku a try as long as it doesn't turn Yaoi at some point in the story.

  5. A

    I feel ambivalent towards this season, mainly since I'm behind almost everything I'm following this season by an episode (except for R-15 for some reason, which I'm still blaming you for getting me into) so the thought of having more shows to watch scares me out of my mind, since everything looks like it deserves a look at the very least.

    Without going into lengthy details (since I've done so already on AS) I suppose what I'm looking forward towards the most would have to be Un-Go. Excellent staff, great material, and everything about it makes it seem like a good pick. Oh, and it is going to be better than Guilty Crown, there isn't a doubt about that in my mind … then again I walked into the summer expecting that Blood-C was going to be great and Kamisama Dolls was going to be boring so …

    Please be right this time.

    As for the rest … Gundam AGE, Tamayura, Horizon and Fate/Zero are must sees for myself, considering that they are the seasons frontrunner's.

    Shana, Hunter X Hunter, Bakuman and Mirai Nikki are also on my list, though I can't feel that optimistic about that as I should be, since I fear that something wrong might go about anyone of them.

    Ika-Musume in particular is the one I'm most worried about, since the director worked on Fabio Chronicles beforehand.

    Chihayafuru and Moon Angel have the makings of potential surprise hits in them, moreso in Chihayafuru's case, with a premise similar a lot to Shion no O. Moon Angel could be something like the next Angelic Layer if done right, but if done wrong it could well be the next IS only much creepier.

    On other potential gems, Ben-To looks pretty good. At the very least, with a great composer on board, it will look great on the audiovisual side worst comes to worst with the story.

    Mashiro-Iro Symphony is more of a case of me feeling sorry for Manglobes constant commercial failures and going down the path of p0rn after making such excellent shows in the past, so … watching out of pity I suppose. And checking out Kimi to Boku because I support gender equality in anime.

    Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukinai sounds interesting as well, with lots of good buzz around it and it seems like ti could be a lot of fun. Last Exile is also pretty much worth a look, though I don't feel as unease about it as you do (since even if it ends up sucking, we still have the first one in the end). And Persona …

    Well, I don't want to knock on Seiji-San too much, since I don't think he's that bad, but I feel like this will be the biggest disappointment to many. I notice that he seems to have more problems when the project he's working on is bigger, and considering the hype surrounding it … I could be wrong (I certainly hope so in this case) but the signs don't look that great for the show.

    But I'd rather not go into the ''What's going to disappoint'' route, since this had been a good year thus far, and I want it to end on a good note.

    As for being a lighter season, well … I only hope that there isn't going to be like 10 shows airing on a single day more than how much is the load going to be. Seriously, there are other days in the week other than Thursday …

  6. M

    @Guardian Enzo
    What makes the whole series interesting isn't the main story, while it does dive in to themes about society, but the sides stories of the characters. As the main character socialize with the people around him, he learns about their peoples and help them overcome it. I give too much away but the Persona and shadows of the series both reflect people feelings, Persona representing the person's acceptance of their feelings and shadows are of their rejections.

  7. A

    @Guardian Enzo
    What Metalsnakezero said, it's all about the characters and their own stories that make the game so interesting and great. The story is good too and the mystery just as good, it doesn't hold much to the characters themselves. The fate of the adaption really rests on how well the anime will cover the side stories as opposed to how well it will cover the main story. It's easy to get the overall plot right, but I'm not so sure how well they'll handle the side stuff, being that a lot of that comes from a specific game mechanic.

  8. d

    Zero no tsukaima final?? Please input so I can vote it.

  9. A

    @deafvader
    That's not this season, but you can always just vote for other if the rest of the options don't tickle your fancy.

  10. l

    @deafvader

    The guy just cured from cancer, and recovering before he start on final volume of ZNT. Give him some break time.

  11. d

    Argh my bad. Seems my source was wrong…
    Nothing seems really good this season. Mostly comedy and fantasy. Hopefully the action ones are good. Have not had any action anime in a while.

  12. Z

    I am a bit worried about the comment that HxH is getting sanitised as the last thing we need is the American type of dumbed down children's shows. But there are several very nice shows coming up this fall!

  13. @Arabesque – glad to hear I hooked you on R-15. Last ep was a good one. I'm just not a Gundam guy, and though I respect Sato the Tamayura OVA bored me. I might check it out. And yes, ease up on Thursdays, please! – Sundays, too… Zero no

    @Metalsnake & Anon – I'll definitely give P4 a shot, who knows – it might grab me.

    @Deaf – yep not this season for ZnT. But TBH I barely made it through S1 and found S2 unwatchable, so I likely won't be following it. As for comedy, I would argue that this has been a weak year for comedy despite being a strong year overall, so I hope you're right – but the only true comedies I see on my list and Working and Shinryaku. And I worry for both due to the staff changes – especially Working.

  14. d

    @Enzo: So you'll be covering Shana?
    Unlike you I found Shana season 2 unwatchable but ZnT not bad. But I'll still be watching shana 3 just for plot completion. (Same reason I watched season 2 till its end till I realised it ain't the final season.)
    I'll most likely only watch the anime originals. Read most of the manga, and unlike Meccha there ain't much difference between anime and manga. Imagine watching Mirai Nikki and knowing the ending and all the plot twists. Ain't that fun anymore.

  15. I'll cover Shana, at least at first. If it's on par with S1, I'll probably stick with it.

  16. N

    Fate/Zero: you should watch it because of Urobuchi Gen I guess. IMO, he is great writer and worth following.
    I had not read the Light Novels (because I knew the Anime was coming) but from what I do know about them, I do think it will be something you may like.

    Knowing FSN, which is its sequel, is not needed I think. While it will have a greater value to those who know have played FSN, I don't think it will be an obstacle.

  17. M

    Glad to see you'll be blogging Bakuman again. I find the manga considerably better but I'll be watching the second season for sure, especially since it will be covering one of my favorite arcs from the manga, although it's very likely it will also cover the arc I consider one of the most tedious.

    Mirai Nikki: I read the manga until I couldn't stand the female lead any longer and had to drop it. Crazy doesn't even begin to describe her. This series is definitely not for everyone. If you are looking for romance or likable characters, this isn't for you. However I'll be giving it another chance and watching at least a few episodes now that I know what I'm getting into. It's definitely got strong points, notably clever tricks and twists.

    Maken-ki: I read the first few chapters of the manga. I'm afraid this one is going to become the new Infinite Stratos.

    Boku Wa Tomodachi: I've read most of what has been scanlated so far and I've liked it. It's basically a school life comedy with a flawed cast and some drama. It has ecchi but it's not too prominent. The female characters here are easy to dislike, though. I could see the adaptation going really badly because of one of these two reasons: it either focuses too much on ecchi or makes the flawed characters unbearably hard to watch. Then again, the manga is an adaptation itself so I don't know what to expect. Crossing my fingers and marking it as one I'm most looking forward to.

  18. t

    You've listed almost all of what I'm watching (and more)

    The only one not on there is Tamaruya.

    It's Sato Junichi (directing 2 animes in one season!) and the OVAs were nice enough even though not spectacular,then again to you this is probably just one of those cute girl shows you're not into.

    And yes,by brains tell me that un go will probably be the better show but my heart is rooting for guilty crown,and even if it turns completely silly I'll still enjoy it (I actualy like HoTD quite a bit because of Tetsurou Araki ,give that manga to another director and I'd have enjoyed it a lot less)

    Chihayafuru:Madhouse oh madhouse,there's a bunch of great award winning COMPLETED josei out there (*cough* Kiyoku Sawaku *cough*) why the hell adapt one that's still ongoing?I can see madhouse going all original ending on us and I don't know how to feel about that.

    Phi brain: this is airing on NHK E so it'll have a young target audience,I've seen great original anime there(denno coil) as well as horrible ones (element hunters) we'll see where this one goes

    Bakuman:Is the episode count confirmed?Because really,there's enough material for 50 episodes if they want to.As a manga reader this will be like a trip down nostalgia lane as the manga is way past the events of the anime

  19. d

    i too didn't watch Fate/Zero. Must I watch it to watch this? If not it is just carnival for me.
    My currently most anticapted show is Robot notes.

  20. totoum, everything I've seen about Bakuman 2 says 25 eps.
    NoitaminA seems to be breaking the formula of one "heart" and one "head" show this time, with both series falling more under the future/otaku banner. Which is odd, as it's the heartwarming series that have been the better performers the last few seasons.

  21. l

    Last Exile: I know I love the anime, however I'm not very sure if I will like the sequel just as much. Just like what Enzo said, I hope they don't screw it up.

    Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Out of all the anime, this is the one I wanted to watch the most. In fact, I have been saying so even before this post come out. My only worry is that this show can easily be made into a simple stupid harem anime. If that ever happen, I will be quite sad to see such a good material ruined. I noticed Enzo didn't put this as a sure blog. While I agree, I also would like Enzo to give it a decent chances. Somehow I feel that they will do wrong more than right with this anime.
    I'm glad Murkel share my concern.

    Shana 3: Nothing much, just need to finish it. Blog, no blog; no difference.

    Mirai Nikki: could easily be another S;G since it also touch on the power of time. True hit for people never read the manga.

    Fate/Zero: Enzo, you need to know this. Fate/Zero have way more interesting battles(in the light novel) than the Fate Stay Night. If they were true to the original material, this should be an interesting action anime.

    HxH: the previous incarnation already kiddie enough for me. Now it even less bloodshed, I don't think I want to watch it anymore.

    @deafvader:

    I don't think you need to worry about ZNT so soon. They decided to make ZNT final season to come out the exact same time with ZNT final volume. I'm guessing earliest next year before we can know the exact date of release.

  22. t

    Then I hope a 3rd season of bakuman will be anounced soon.I managed to guess where they'd end the first season,here I'm not sure,I've got 2 ending points in mind,one I'd love and one that makes me go "they could end it there but I'd hate it".

    And you might have missunderstood me a bit on Noitamina,what I was trying to say is that if i step back and think logicaly un-go looks like the most promissing show but the fanboy in me that doesn't think logicaly can't help but be crazy about guilty crown.

    But you're right they did break the recipe they had so far this year and BRS isn't a "heart" anime either so right now there's nothing in the pipeline like that,I don't mind the Otaku stuff but I hope I'll still be able to count on Noitamina for josei (*cough* Kiyoku Sawaku *cough*) .

    Also,I know there's no 2nd winter noitamina anime anounced but as far as I know there's nothing official about guilty crown being 2 cour,that's just wishfull thinking,could be un-go,could be neither.

    Fate zero hype is based on the staff and the popularity of the source material.I've like Urobuchi since I watched phantom in 2009,he delived what I expected with Madoka and I expect the same from fate zero.

    What excites me the most with persona 4 is that it's produced by AIC ASTA the studio behind Sora No Otoshimono,and while I've got some issues with the show,it's production values were top notch to me that I look forward to see what the studio does here.

    And Ben-to is my sleeper pick,sounds like the type of premise fictional mangaka Arushi Muto would come up with so if done right it could be awesome.

  23. L

    Will Last Exile be like … a continuation of sorts of the first season? I haven't seen it yet, but the new series sounds really interesting and I'm not sure if I should marathon the first season first. XD

  24. Lunacie, I don't think anyone can say for sure how much knowledge of the first LE series would be required. But since it's a superb series, why not marathon it anyway?

  25. L

    Hm, I think I will! I haven't marathoned anything in a while and the premise sounds really great. Summer is about to end, so now's my last chance anyway.

  26. d

    The Fate Stay Night anime (and also Tsukihime) were a letdown, but the Type Moon visual novels are honestly amazing (and I don't even like visual novels). I haven't read Fate / Zero, but just using the same great setting is a plus for me. It shouldn't take much knowledge of the source material since it is a prequel.

    Based solely on the director and the studio, I would suspect this iteration will turn out much better than the Fate / Stay Night anime. Who can really know, but I would recommend at least giving the first episode or two a try.

  27. A

    @Enzo

    i would have to disagree with you on Working!!

    if found Inami to be my favorite character >.<
    and i liked the focus they made on her towards the end of the series

    anyway thanks for the previews XD

  28. NP, that's what opinions are for, right?

  29. A

    I'm going to try to watch them all, but I'm really excited about Working, New Last Exile, Ika.

    I'm also looking foward to watch Kimi to Baku. And that's because it's JC Staff. Unlike many, I really enjoy J.C Staff productions, specially those with school life themes (like KimiKiss and Hatsukoi Limited).

  30. A

    Working season 2 is coming!!!!! SOO HAPPY!!!!!

  31. Well Andre, I hope you're right – this is the sort of material that JCS could, theoretically, do OK with. I really want that show to succeed and I'd just rather have seen it with a studio that has a more consistent track record.

  32. d

    Fate/Zero: You do not need any prior knowledge of Fate/Stay Night because timeline-wise, Fate/Zero is the prequel to that series.

    I have read these Light Novels and they are nothing short of amazing (after all, they were written by Urobochi Gen, and is his own personal reflection of the Fate series, not something TYPE-MOON asked him to write). The real gem is the character interaction, which is a refreshing contrast from your typical cliché archetypes.
    The pacing should be roughly 6 episodes per novel, which gives ample time to explain everything, as well as much time to animate certain skills (If they don't animate Rider's Noble Phantasm like how they shafted Unlimited Blade Works, I'll be pissed)

  33. Thanks, devious. The chips are stacking high in favor of watching the series, at the very least.

  34. d

    @devious: I have watched Fate/Stay but not Fate/Zero, can I still watch UFO Table?

  35. M

    why's bakuman 2 not in the poll list??!

  36. N

    Thank you very much for your Season Previews. They have been very helpful for me.

    I will definitely be watching:

    Un-Go: noitaminA + mystery, this sounds too good to miss.

    Mirai Nikki: I really like the manga and I always thought that the story would be perfect for an anime. However I wasn’t too excited about the OVA that came out.
    I am still not worried because it always takes some time for me to enjoy an adaption from a manga I know, so I’m hoping for the best. It deserves a good adaptation.

    Will try:

    C3 – CubexCursedxCurious:
    The director is the sole reason I will be trying this one. I was fascinated by ef- a tale of memories, so I have to give this anime a chance.

    Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle:
    I’m not too sure I will like the characters, or the story, or even the art, but I like puzzles and if it has some good ones I’m in.

    Kimi to Boku:
    It looks like a series I will like better as a manga, so I’m not sure about this one. Maybe I will read the manga first.

    I will (probably) not be watching:

    Last Exile: Ginyoku no Fam: because I don’t know the original series, maybe another time.

    guilty crown, which is the first noitaminA series in a long time I will not be watching, but my feelings (and the promo picture) tell me this is not a series for me.

    The new Hunter X Hunter: I quite liked the orginal anime, not so much as Hikaru no go but I enjoyed watching it, so why should I be watching the new one.

    for the other series…

    Shakugan no Shana III: will probably marathon this one when it is finished. I can’t imagine following in a weekly basis, but I want to know how it will end.

    Working: I liked the first season and I will be watching the second one, but probably not this fall.

    Chihayafuru, Ben-To, Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai look interesting too but I still have two series from this summer I haven’t watched yet (Dantalian no Shoka and Kamisama dolls), so if there is another series this fall I will like they will most likely have to wait.

    And last but not least I am really curious about the Hotarubi no Mori e movie. I know the oneshot (I read it before Natsume Yujinchou), I love Yuki Midorikawas works, but I don’t know if they can translate the rather short oneshot into a movie.

  37. @Niana – you're welcome!
    @Mads – Honestly, it never seemed like a terrible popular series. I didn't get many comments on my posts and they didn't get many views. I certainly plan to blog it, but I didn't want a poll that took up the whole sidebar so I left some options to "other"…

  38. A

    Wait Mirai Nikki is only two cour? I guess that could be enough time, but I was hoping that they might stretch it out to three. Then again the last chapters kind of dragged, but idc. As long as I see a voiced, moving Minene I will be satisfied.

  39. I'll happily take two cours after seeing what happened to Deadman Wonderland. 59 chapters in 24-ish episodes is very doable – they won't have to cut too much, I don't think. These days even getting two cours is rare for a title that isn't a massively popular shounen – the puzzling case of Hyouge Mono notwithstanding.

    C'mon, Asread – don't f*&k this one up!

  40. L

    Boku Wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai looks… well, beautiful…

    And something neat: if you go find the manga scans, you'll find that Kiiragi's group is translating it.

  41. d

    Considering Elfen lied being 13 episodes.

    Think 2 cours of Mirai Nikki is too much. Guess they'll have to drag the action scenes and the emotional build up and play up Yuno's pyscho-ness.

    Boku Wa tomodachi, depends on how they jump into the anime. If they follow the manga's plot and pace (1 or so main heroine introduced per episode) might be too slow for 22 minutes. Of all of Kiiragi's trans I still prefer Otome X Amnesia (started reading before knowing who the trans were).

  42. Too much? Being that 2 chapters per episode is a fairly accepted ideal standard, 59 chapters in two cours hardly seems excessive to me. Trying to do it in one would be a disaster, I think.

  43. d

    Hope you'll right. I'll give it a shot, hopefully the seiyuus' voices fit in. Just can't really imagine Mai doing a Yandere.
    Anyway, no point looking into the future. Just hope this week's baka test is up to par.

  44. M

    @Guardian Enzo

    I see. But id dyou like the first season?

  45. A

    Guilty crown,two-cour? Since when was this confirmed?

  46. Mads – yes, I did. Didn't love it, but liked it a lot. Wouldn't otherwise blog it.

    Anon – no, no confirmation but there appears to be only 1 NoitaminA series set for winter, and the rumors are strong that GC will be 2 cour.

  47. P

    Fate/Zero is standalone. You don't need to know anything else about the Naso universe to understand it.

  48. I've pretty much decided that I'll be watching, Proto. We'll see how that goes…

  49. l

    I just watch HxH PV, it does not look impressive at all. I'll probably won't watch it until RC or Enzo recommend it. Since I already watch the old version.

  50. It looked a lot like what I've seen of the old one, Ikaze, for better or worse. Since I've seen almost none of the old show I'd watch at least a little of the new one.

  51. L

    The description of Kimi to Boku sounded oddly familiar, and so I decided to check it out…

    Turns out that I've actually read a volume or two of the manga, but had forgotten about it… um, quite completely. It wasn't a bad read, but nor was it very memorable. On the whole I thought it had very little textual integrity (the lives of teenage boys does NOT work like that!), and seemed more like a doujin than an independent work.

    Stories told through the voices of male characters usually attract me, but this one just felt too unrealistic and daydream-like.

  52. Thanks, Lucile. I'll hope the anime fares better for you – in my view, this is a premise that's long overdue in anime.

  53. K

    Well, this will be a hard – very hard season.

    This season I dropped everything except for Penguindrum, Dantalian and Natsume. I will marathon the rest of Kami-memo and S;G when they're finished (I've read the source material, so, well…) but apart from that I got bored with everything.

    I kinda found out lately that I should follow at most four series. THIS WON'T DO THIS TIME.

    Gundam AGE: I don't think I will like it all that much, but being Gundam I will naturally have to watch it. I'm also very interested in the new direction and if it really works the way they intend it to (drawing kids back to Gundam).

    Last Exile: I will probably marathon this one. I loved Last Exile but that's exactly why I'm VERY afraid I will be disappointed.

    Persona 4: Must see. Hope they get the side-stories right.

    Guilty Crown: Great Staff, nice promotional material, story sounds interesting. Will watch.

    Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: I've read some of the manga as well as a bit of the light novel. Also listened to the drama CD. I love the characters and the themes. The beautiful blonde with a temper that decides that 2D women are better friends than real ones. I love Sena 😉

    Shana III: Still don't know if I will follow it or marathon it in the end. I hated Season 2… The OVA was alright.

    Ben-To: Sounds too crazy to not watch.

    Mirai Nikki: Loved the manga, will start to watch. I will drop this in a heartbeat if it does not live up to the source.

    That's already 7-8 potential series. Most of the time I get also stuck with a series I didn't even want to watch…

    Let's see how many of those I actually watch regularily.

    Long post sorry. Planning what to watch is my favourite part of any season.

  54. C

    you can do it man.

  55. Thanks for position, Kamion. If I can blog 12, you can watch 8!

  56. J

    Dude, I don't know how you're going to blog 12 shows. I wonder if I'll be interested in 5 of them…and when I mean 5, I'm not counting the sequels!

  57. I hope it's less, honestly, but it looks like a pretty deep season.

  58. A

    I never thought I'd meet someone who has never watched F/SN. Me too!!!!!! Whenever I told my friends, they were like, "Are you really watching anime?" -__- I kinda watched F/SN as I flipped the channel as it aired some years ago on Animax Asia, but that's just it.

    Anyway, I really can't wait for Hotarubi no Mori e to be released in DVD/Bluray. I love the one-shot and never would have thought a movie can be made out of a short, simple and sweet material. I think the director is a big fan of Midorikawa-sensei.

    Izumi

  59. Omori must be a fan, Izumi, or else he hates his job – he's done all the adaptations of her work!

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