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I wish anime seasons synched up with the Tokyo weather.
Summer in Japan rolls on, unbearably hot and humid, but it’s time to turn our attention to the Fall anime season. It’s been a pretty odd year for anime – Summer has proved to be a better season than Spring for the first time I can remember. In fact, given how soft Winter was (I only finished one series that wasn’t a sequel or remake) each season has been successively better than the one before, though the year as a whole is still probably below average. So can Fall continue the trend and give 2013 the finishing kick it needs?
I’ll say this much – there’s a lot of shows. Fall and Spring are the two busiest anime seasons, but there seems to be a higher percentage of at least nominally interesting shows this season than usual. I’m covering 24 series in the preview, which is certainly a record since I’ve started anime blogging. I don’t see a lot of those 24 as having serious potential for greatness, and to be honest there are a large handful I’m effectively taking a flyer on based on one or two factors – my gut says we’re looking at a season whose strength is volume rather than top-end quality, where Summer has been just the reverse. But with that money possibilities out there, there’s a decent chance several series could prove quite worthwhile.
As always I take heart when top-line directors are working, and this season we have both Mochizuki Tomomi and Omori Takahiro – it doesn’t get much more top-line than that. If Spring was a banner season for sci-fi and mecha, Fall seems very strong for sports – this perennially underappreciated genre has several offerings, including two which show real promise in Yowamushi Pedal and Ace of Diamond. Not counting Kinema Citrus still no BONES (though with both Space Dandy and Norogami confirmed for future seasons, the studio at least appears to be alive) but heavy-hitters like Sunrise (very busy) P.A.Works, KyoAni and Production I.G. are represented, including a fascinating co-production between I.G. and Madhouse on the aforementioned Diamond no Ace. Even GAINAX is on the board – sort of, as one of their old projects is resuscitated – as well as their offspring, Trigger. Sadly, Brains Base isn’t.
On the sequel front it’s mostly the usual mediocre crowd like Freezing and Infinite Stratos, though the much-anticipated Little Busters! ~Refrain~ takes the headline for me. We also get another Ryo-Timo reboot of Yozakura Quartet and another season of Hajime no Ippo. There are several original series on the schedule – there can never be too many for me – an almost even split between manga and LN adaptations, and more VN/Game adaptations than we see on a typical schedule.
What about sleepers? Stay tuned for the previews – there’s nothing that leaps off the page like Chihayafuru or Jinrui did, but I see a few hidden gem possibilities lurking.
As always, please vote for your most anticipated series in the sidebar poll!
With that, to the previews:
Gaist Crusher – Pierrot
Director: Takamoto Nobuhiro
Writer: Nishizono Satoru
Schedule: Wednesday 18:00, TV Tokyo – Premières 10/02/13
Episodes:TBA
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: Pretty much a straight-up flyer for me, based mostly on Nishizono’s track record as a writer. But the previews and concept art actually look pretty good too, and I have a suspicion this sci-fi kind series might be better than most shows of its type – somewhere in the Gyrozetter range, quality-wise.
Outbreak Company – feel
Director: Oikawa Kei
Writer: Arakawa Naruhisa
Schedule: Thursday, 25:28, TBS – Premières 10/03/13
Episodes: TBA
First Look: I’m probably asking for it with this LN adaptation. On paper it seems to push all my “NO!” buttons, but again the staff is pretty decent, and the original author Sakaki Ichiro has done some tolerably good work before. Studio Feel did a terrific job with Minami-ke Tadaima, and I’m anxious to see how they follow it up. Outbreak Company is the tale of the child of otaku parents who winds up going to a fantasy world as a “moe ambassador”, and I’m hoping the author knows just how dumb that premise sounds and is in on the joke.
Nagi no Asukara – P.A. Works
Director: Shinohara Toshiya
Writer: Okada Mari
Schedule: Thursday, 22:00, Animax – Premières 10/03/13
Episodes: Two cour
First Look: An original series by Okada Mari for P.A. Works, with character designs by Buriki? That’s going to be one of the headline acts of any season for sure. Fans have been ripping this one pretty hard, based mostly on the hyper-cute character designs, and with Okada on-board there’s sure to be drama both on and off-screen. But while I have my issues with her at times, I have no qualms about her talent. I’m always supportive of original anime, and I deeply respect P.A. Works consistent willingness to take creative risks rather than follow a KyoAni play-it-safe approach. Not much is known about the story apart from that it follows two middle-school friends, a crybaby girl and overprotective boy, and that the guys will likely end up in drag at some point. Shinohara is quite experienced and I liked his work with RDG very much – and a strong director with a restrained sensibility is crucial with any Okada series, judging by the track record so far. No question this could be anything from a season highlight to a disaster, but it seems very unlikely to be boring.
Log Horizon – Satelight
Director: Ishihara Shinji
Writer: Nemoto Toshizo
Schedule: Saturday, 17:30, NHK-E – Premières 10/5/13
Episodes: 25
First Look: 30,000 Japanese gamers trapped in a MMORPG? Hard not to think of SAO when reading that. This one is called “Elder Tale” and the mix of players is a bit different, but the superficial similarities are hard to overlook. Reportedly the tone here is somewhat lighter, with RL death not being a danger, and some have said the overall vibe is closer to .Hack than SAO. I have an interest in this sort of scenario, though I haven’t been thrilled with the results of late when anime has tackled it. Competent staff and the usual cast of big-name regulars we’d expect in a show like this, including Nakamura Yuuichi as someone named “William Massachusetts”.
Daiya no A – Madhouse/Production I.G.
Director: Masuhara Mitsuyuki
Writer: Konuta Takeshi
Schedule: Sunday, 08:30, TVX – Premieres 10/06/13
Episodes: TBA
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: It’s a good season for sports anime, at least in terms of numbers, and Ace of Diamond is the biggest name in the bunch. It’s a co-production from two of my favorite studios (a first for these two working together AFAIK), with the director of Shirokuma Cafe and Chi’s Sweet Home (so underrated…). Terajima Yuji’s manga has been running since 2006, and has already won both the Shogakukan and Kodansha awards for shounen manga. I haven’t read it myself, but the buzz seems to be that it’s a “sports lovers sports manga” – less a character drama in the Adachi mold and more along the lines of Major, which the focus on the team rather than the individual. This won’t garner much attention in the West – the only sports anime that do seem to be the ones that score with fujoshi, and that mantle seems to rest with this season’s other top sports anime, Yowamushi Pedal, and obviously KuroBas S2 – but I suspect it’s going to be very big here in Japan, where the manga is an institution. As a lover of both baseball and baseball anime, I have Diamond no Ace near the top of my list this season.
Gundam Build Fighters – Sunrise
Director: Nagasaki Kenji
Writer: Kuroda Yousuke
Schedule: Monday 18:00, TV Tokyo – Premières 10/07/13
Episodes: TBA
First Look: Another one of those “flyer” shows, one I frankly don’t expect to stay with but which I want to give a shot to win me over. It’s Gundam, it’s Sunrise – admittedly Gundam AGE was a mixed-bag, but this franchise is anime royalty. This one focuses on GunPla – kids doing battle with miniature Gundam models – so the natural suspicion is that even more than most Gundam series the main goal here it to sell toys.
Kill la Kill – Studio Trigger
Director: Imaishi Hiroyuki
Writer: Nakashima Kazuki
Schedule: TBA – Premieres 10/13
Episodes: 25
First Look: This is one of the cornerstones of the schedule, any way you slice it. The director and writer of Gurren Lagann (Nakashima-sensei also created Oh! Edo Rocket) are reunited, along with Gainax veteran Sushio as Animation Director. With Gainax effectively dead as a creative force, the main hope for Gainax fanboys like me seems to lie in Trigger, the studio Imaishi founded and where so many Gainax refugees have ended up. Kill la Kill seems to be Imaishi’s take on the fighting schoolgirl craze, with the series set on “a campus ruled by force”. The previews look like barely controlled chaos – big, brash, violent, silly and outrageous.
The funny thing is, somehow I’m getting the feeling this is going to be a train wreck. It’s still at or very near the top of my Fall list, don’t get me wrong – with this staff it couldn’t possibly be otherwise – but for reasons I can’t entirely quantify I’m very uneasy about this series. I’ve had the feeling that Imaishi and Trigger are trying a little too hard to be timely and hip, which I don’t think necessarily plays to his strengths as a creative force. I dearly, passionately hope this is a classic in the making, and that my unease is misplaced.
Non Non Biyori – Silver Link
Director: Kawamo Shinya
Writer: Yoshida Reiko
Schedule: Monday, 26:05, TV Tokyo – Premieres 10/07/13
Episodes:TBA
First Look: Transfer student from the big city joins a one-room school in a mountain village with only five students? I’m half-expecting the horrors to start any moment, but manga adaptation Non Non Biyori seems about as tonally different from Higurashi as you can imagine. Superficially this isn’t the type of show that normally clicks with me, but I get a little sleeper vibe here – the animation and art looks quite striking, and Kawamo has worked on some fine shows in lesser roles, and could be a potential sleeper himself in directorial ranks. Yoshida’s credentials as a writer are well-established, of course.
Galilei Donna – A-1 Pictures
Director/Writer: Umetsu Yasuomi
Schedule: Thursday, 24:50, Fuji TV – Premieres 10/10/13
Episodes: 11
First Look: For the first time in almost a year NoitaminA is back with two first-run series, and they’re both original shows at that. I’m a bit torn, because as much as I support original anime there are so many manga I’d love to see adapted for which NoitaminA seems like the only option. Nevertheless it’s great to see NoitaminA back for the moment at least. Of the two new series this one looks the less promising to me – Umetsu has certainly been around the block and back a few times, but the stuff he’s worked on as creator or director isn’t all that impressive. The premise – it follows three female descendants of Galileo Galilei who are all on international most-wanted lists – is bizarre enough to be interesting, but I’m not picking up much of a vibe from this one.
Samurai Flamenco – Manglobe
Director: Omori Takahiro
Writer: Kurata Hideyuki
Schedule: Thursday, 24:50, Fuji TV – Premieres 10/10/13
Episodes: 22
First Look: My radar about which NoitaminA series is going to be the better is rarely off. It usually amounts to picking the lesser-hyped show – UN-GO over Guilty Crown, Tsuritama over Sakamichi no Apollon, etc. – but this time that factor is about a draw, so it comes down to the talent involved and gut feeling. Omori-sensei is simply one of the very best and incredibly versatile, and the last time Manglobe did NoitaminA we got the best show of the year in Sarai-ya Goyou (given the Manglobe sales curse, I fully expect this show to tank commercially like that and pretty much all of them do). About all we’ve been given is the tagline “To those “adults” who don’t want to become adults… Hero will never give up, never hide, never be defeated, never accept evil”. I like the thought behind that, and there seems to be a bit of Tiger and Bunny in the spirit of the thing – plus the visuals look quite stunning. One of my top picks for the season.
Tokyo Ravens – 8-Bit
Director: Kansaki Takaomi
Writer: Kurata Hideyuki
Schedule: Tuesday, 24:30, Tokyo MX – Premières 10/08/13
Episodes: TBA
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: Here’s another one of those “take a flyer” shows, this one mostly because I tend to like series about onmyoudou. And it has a pretty solid director and writer. On the other hand it’s a LN adaptation, though reviews of the manga version are pretty good. It’s the story of a high-schooler from an onmyouji clan who’s unable to see spirits until he’s reunited with an osananajimi, the next head of the family. I rather like the art and animation in the preview and Ishikawa Kaitou getting more lead roles is nice, though it’s a package deal with yet another HanaKana role. In other words, a mixed bag and who knows – but my sense is that this might just be pretty decent.
Magi: The Kingdom of Magic – A-1 Pictures
Director: Masunari Kouji
Writer: Yoshino Hiroyuki
Schedule: Sunday, 17:00, MBS/TBS – Premieres 10/06/13
Episodes: TBA
First Look: There’s a bit of morbid curiosity with this one, I suppose – just how badly can Yoshino Hiroyuki further screw up a highly successful manga this time? A-1’s decisions with the first season of Magi were baffling. They had a cash cow on their hands, with plenty of source material, and for whatever reason decided to radically change the plot and focus on the least interesting main character (Alibaba) while turning the actual MC into a marginal side character. To add insult to injury they emphasized the worst of Alibaba’a qualities and turned him into a classic whiny and annoying Kaji Yuuki/Yoshino abomination. Yoshino is a full-fledged hack, no doubt about it, but it’ll be fascinating to see how he manages to make Aladdin irrelevant in an arc (Magnostadt) that’s basically his story.
Kakumeiki Valvrave Second Season – Sunrise
Director: Mstsuo Kou
Writer: Okouchi Ichiro
Schedule: TBA
Episodes: TBA
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: This is the second half of Valvrave’s split-cour, so don’t expect a whole lot of changes. That means more stupidity, every plot twist in the dictionary and then some, and some of the hammiest dialogue in anime history. And if it’s like the first season, somehow most of it will work quite well. As long as Valvrave continues not to take itself too seriously, it should continue to be an interesting ride – but I hope it stays away from poorly-written rape drama in the second cour.
Gingitsune – Diomedea
Director: Misawa Shin
Writer: Yamaguchi Hiroshi
Schedule: Sunday, 25:05, TV Tokyo – Premières 10/06/13
Episodes: TBA
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: Miko and Miki? Sign me up. Miko are everywhere in this story of a fox deity and the girl who’s inherited her family’s one-member-at-a-time ability to see and speak with said deity. Miki Shinichirou plays the deity, but this show has perhaps the best overall cast of the season – Kanemoto Hisako plays the female lead, and supporting players include Kazuhiko Inoue, Tomokazu Sugita, Koshimizu Ami and Tomokazu Seki. This one is a seinen, and seinen adaptations tend to be among the best anime in any given season.
Yowamushi Pedal – TMS Entertainment
Director: Nabeshima Osamu
Writer: Yoshida Reiko
Schedule: Sunday, 13:35, TV Tokyo – Premieres 10/13/13
Episodes: 36-39 (three cour)
First Look: This is the other big sports manga adaptation of the Fall, and I’m equally looking forward to it. Yowamushi Pedal is an excellent manga, with likeable characters, sharp comedy and a very realistic take on the sport of competitive cycling. It’s framed through the story of a high-school freshman otaku who rides his cheap bike some 45 KM each way to Akihabara frequently, catching the attention of the ace of the tiny Cycling Club. This one seems to have the fujoshi touch, at least if Comiket is any judge, which can mean a lot to sports anime commercially, (though it will be somewhat overshadowed by the colossus that is KuroBas). I think Yowamushi Pedal will prove a good test of the open-mindedness of Western viewers, because there’s everything here that should make a series appealing to a broad audience – it just happens to be sports-themed. It just needs to dodge being screwed up by the adaptation, but both Nabeshima and Yoshida are highly experienced and more than competent, so I think the series is in good hands.
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio – SANZIGEN
Director: Kishi Seiji
Writer: Uezu Makoto
Schedule: Monday, 26:55, MBS – Premieres 10/07/13
Episodes: TBA
MAL:
Preview:
First Look: It’s another go-round on the dance floor with Kishi and Uezu, two of the greatest teases in anime. These guys have a ton of talent that they frequently piss away, but when they stay away from game adaptations the results are usually anywhere from good (Seto no Hanayome) to spectacular (Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita). This manga adaptation comes from SANZIGEN, very rarely seen as a lead studio (they co-produced BRS with Ordet) and it’s the story of the “Fleet of Fog”, a super-weaponized stealth fleet that swept the world 17 years earlier, wiping out humanity’s ability to travel the oceans and taking much of their land. A group of teenagers somehow comes into possession of a fleet of their own and fights back. Sounds like a pretty stock post-apocalyptic sci-fi to me, but there’s certainly enough here that’s intriguing to buy me into the pot for a few episodes.
Golden Time – J.C. Staff
Director: Kon Chiaki
Writer: Shimo Fumihiko
Schedule: Thursday, 26:35, MBS – Premieres 10/03/13
Episodes: Two cour
MAL:
Preview:
First Look: Yeah, it’s a light-novel adaptation. But there are lots of mitigating factors with Golden Time. First, it comes from the author of Toradora (Takemiya Yuyuko) which is certainly one of the better LN romances of recent years. It’s also a romance set among college (law school, in fact) students, a welcome rarity in today’s anime environment. The hook here is that the main character’s new best friend has gone to law school to flee the childhood friend with whom he’d shared a promise to one day wed (you can probably guess where this is headed). J.C. Staff has a very experienced writer and director in place here (though Kon is best known for a very different sort of show) and this is the sort of material the studio tends to do very well with. As a bonus the music is by Hashimoto Yukari, who also worked on Toradora, and the aforementioned osananajimi is played by Hochan (who also sings the OP and ED). This isn’t one of the most talked-about shows on the schedule, but I think it has a chance to be one of the best.
Kyoukai no Kanata – Kyoto Animation
Director: Ishidate Taichi
Writer: Hanada Jukki
Schedule: Saturday, 24:30, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/02/13
Episodes: TBA
MAL:
Preview:
First Look: This one, on the other hand, is one of the most talked-about shows of the season – as any KyoAni show always is. I take a somewhat jaundiced view of KyoAni, mostly because to me it seems as if they generally have a distinct lack of creative ambition. Even a show like Free!, which is bold in concept in that in presents a departure for the studio in one very important way, in its execution very much reflects the safe, conservative approach the studio almost always takes. On the other hand they produce some of the most beautiful animation in the business and are undeniably very good at what they’re very good at.
Kyoukai no Kanata may just represent a bit of a departure for KyoAni in that the LN it’s based on seems edgier than what the studio generally tackles – so many of its fans say, anyway. It’s an interesting concept – a boy who’s immune to wounds and the girl he meets as she’s about to jump off the school roof, and a story that seems poised between the physical and spirit worlds. We’ve had the usual flood of pre-airing complaints from KyoAni loyalists and haters – much of it seemingly surrounding the character designs in this instance – but that seems like the usual tempest-in-a-teapot that this studio always generates. The studio has turned over the big chair for the first time to veteran hand Ishidate Taichi. The truth is that Kyoto Animation has only produced two series in the last decade – Kanon and Hyouka – that I consider exceptional, so some of the unrelenting buzz any new show they produce generates is lost on me. But they’re a major player, a true force in the business that does things in a very particular way, and this was the show on their calendar that I pegged as potentially really interesting.
Little Busters! ~Refrain~ – J.C. Staff
Director: Yamakawa Yoshiki
Writer: Shimada Michiru
Schedule: Saturday, 22:30, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/03/13
Episodes: 26
First Look: This is the main event for Little Busters, the entire first season being effectively the prologue. I liked LB a lot better than many others, it seems – it started off in a hole with legions of fans angry that Kyoto Animation wasn’t producing it, and it marks a distinct stylistic change from most of Key’s other works. I find the focus on friendship and innocence quite refreshing and I had few issues with J.C. Staff’s choices in terms of adaptation, but it seems we’re in for a much darker experience with Refrain. I look forward to it, though not to trying to dodge a minefield of spoilers every week.
Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~ – Tatsunoko
Director: Ryo-Timo
Writer: Ishikawa Manabu
Schedule: Sunday, 23:30, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/06/13
Episodes: TBA
MAL:
Preview:
First Look: Yasuda Suzuhito’s manga has already seen a wide array of adaptations, including an OVA from the very stylish and idiosyncratic Ryo-Timo. He’s back with a full series this time, and the manga fans are back with their complaints about the changes to the character designs. I guess Ryo-Timo seems to be a love-hate kind of artist, and that’s reflected in the reaction to the OVA – I preferred it to the earlier TV adaptation by a wide margin, while others preferred the latter for its more strict adherence to the look of the manga. I like Ryo-Timo a lot and I’m free to enjoy this series on its own terms, so I expect this to be pretty good.
Super Seisyun Brothers – AIC Plus+
Director: Takata Masahiro
Writer: Konparu Tomoko
Schedule: Friday, 25:53, TV Tokyo – Premieres 09/13/13
Episodes: TBA
First Look: I’m taking a bit of a stab in the dark on this, the first new series of the Fall, but it looks agreeably weird. It’s a manga adaptation, the story of two similar sets of siblings (younger brother, older sister) who are all friends (seemingly platonic) and have somewhat otaku-themed misadventures. The boys are played by Ohsaka Ryouta and Ishikawa Kaitou, two of the better seiyuu of the day, and the girls by Kayano Ai and likable climber Yamamoto Nozomi. Konparu is a veteran to say the least – he wrote the adaptation of Adachi Mitsuru’s Touch. This one is another one with a mild sleeper vibe.
Edit: Turns out it’s a five-minute series.
Neppu Kairiku Bushiroad – Kinema Citrus
Director: Sakoi Masayuki
Writer: Kaihou Norimitsu/Kodachi Ukyou
Schedule: TBA
Episodes:TBA
First Look: Talk about stalled projects – this multi-platform (anime, card game, online game) was originally planned by Gainax, Bushiroad and Nitroplus in 2005. The names have mostly changed, but the original concept came from the late Yoshida Sunao (Trinity Blood). Not much is known except it’s sci-fi and mecha, but it’s got the curiosity factor if nothing else. And as a Kinema Citrus project, it’s effectively the first BONES anime since Zetsuen no Tempest finished.
Edit: Shockingly, Neppu has been delayed yet again. The latest target is Winter 2014, as a TV special.
Pupa – Studio DEEN
Director: Mochizuki Tomomi
Writer: TBA
Schedule: TBA
Episodes:TBA
First Look: If you don’t see much info up above, it’s because we haven’t been told much about Pupa. It’s adapted from a horror manga by Mogi Sayaka about a boy and his little sister, who discovers a mysterious butterfly and turns into a creature that consumes humans. Series composition (my guess is Mochizuki-sensei himself), start date, and episode count are still unannounced. But in the end it doesn’t matter – this is on my most-anticipated list anyway, just based on the fact that Mochizuki is as good a director and writer as anybody in TV anime. Add to that the fact that rarely see really good horror anime and I’m psyched for this one, even if we don’t have much to go on yet.
Edit: Sadly, Pupa has been confirmed to be streaming on Niconico, and rumored to be a 5-minute series. A crushing disappointment, if the latter is true especially.
Kyousogiga – Toei
Director: Matsumoto Rie
Writer: Toudou Izumi
Schedule: Tuesday, 25:30, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/02/13
Episodes:13
First Look: This one is a total stab in the dark, but there are a few reasons it catches my eye. First, it’s a relatively rare entry into TV non-children’s TV animation from the legendary Toei (my neighbor, about 7 minutes walk). More importantly, though I haven’t watched the net animation it’s based on I sense that Kyousogiga has a thoroughly zany and bizarre way about it, something like Gainax might have made ten years ago. The story is three siblings stuck wreaking havoc in a strange city looking for a rabbit to get them home, but that seems like just an excuse to do very silly things.
Will Definitely Blog: Nagi no Asukara, Diamond no Ace, Kill la Kill, Samurai Flamenco, Yowamushi Pedal, Golden Time, Little Busters! ~Refrain~, Pupa. There are so many other possibilities that I won’t even list them all – safe to assume that every series in the preview is a real contender, and I’ll likely end up blogging a couple of shows that aren’t listed here.
Sleeper Candidates: Non Non Biyori, Gingitsune, Super Seisyun Brothers
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OVA/Movie: The OVA calendar is very thin, to be honest, though there is a blockbuster in the bunch:
Chihayafuru (OAD) – 9/13/2013: This may be the last Chihayafuru anime we get for a few years, so I hope they make it count. Will this pick up the story at the training camp Chihaya and Taichi arrived at as the second season ended, or will it be a more traditional OVA side story? The manga remains a force – it just passed 10 million volumes sold – and the second season outperformed the first on Blu-ray, so I think there’s a good chance we will see a third. But it won’t be for a good while, even if it does happen.
Oregairu (OAD) – 9/19/2013: The first season (BD sales indicate there will likely be a second) seemed to alternately piss me off or engage me thoroughly, with no middle ground. To me this is a series with a lot of good ideas that frequently bogs itself down in the usual LN cliches – which makes it a marked contrast to Watamote, which depicts teenage social isolation without resorting to those crutches and never pulls its punches the way this show sometimes did (though I’ll be the first to admit it’s gutsier than most of its brethren in that respect).
Yozakura Quartet: Tsuki ni Naku (OVA) – 10/09/13: It’s a Yozakura Autumn. This OVA is a side story from Volume 11 of the manga.
Suisei no Gargantia (OVA) – 10/25/13: The second BD extra episode from Gargantia. The sales are looking pretty good on this one, so I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a second season at some point.
Theatrical:
Space Pirate Captain Harlock – 9/07/2013: Matsumoto Leiji’s legendary pirate returns to the screen – or I should say returned, as this CG adaptation has already released to strong reviews (including one from James Cameron).
Trailer:
Chuunibyou: Takanashi Rika Kai – 9/14/2013: A big-screen effort from Kyoto Animation’s flawed but generally entertaining story of reality, fantasy and growing up to tide fans over until the second season.
Trailer:
Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica: Hangyaku no Monogatari – 10/26/2013: The third Madoka film continues SHAFT’s massive milking of this cash cow. This one is the first that’s actually all new material, and given that Homura is featured in most of the advertising it’s safe to assume she’s the main focus (which she was in the TV series too, in truth).
Trailer:
Sakasama no Patema – 11/09/13 : Yshiura Yasuhiro’s (Eve no Jikan) long-delayed film about a Princess of an underground tunnel world is finally due for theatrical release. There have been four prequel films released online.
Trailer:
Kaguya-hime no Monogatari – 11/23/13: The most anticipated anime film of the Autumn for me, and possibly the most anticipated anime period. A new film from Ghibli co-founder Takahata Isao would always be big news – it’s his first as a director since 1999’s My Neighbors the Yamadas – but with the retirement of close friend Miyazaki Hayao, this movie takes on even greater mystique. Takahata is older (77) than Miyazaki and seems unlikely to direct again, making this adaptation of the eponymous Japanese legend The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter all the more bittersweet. It was originally scheduled to be released simultaneously with Miyazaki’s Kaze Tachinu, but was reportedly behind schedule, resulting in the delay of some three months.
Trailer:
Ghost in the Shell: ARISE – border:2 Ghost Whispers – 11/30/13: Production I.G.’s signature property just won’t go away (they won’t let it) and returns with this, the second in a planned four film series. GiTS is one of those franchises I’ve never quite admired the way I feel like I was supposed to – apart from Kimiyama Kenji’s Stand Alone Complex, anyway – so my excitement level for this one is pretty modest.
Trailer:
Helen
September 12, 2013 at 3:04 pmPretty sure your KyoAni show is actually a picture from Garden of Sinners (I can't even keep the Japanese names straight so I guess google image search can't either?)
Helen
September 12, 2013 at 3:10 pmAs for everything else, all I have to say is that yes, Kyousogiga is totally zany and bizarre and mostly an excuse to have some really fun visuals. But the set of OVAs released last fall actually started putting together a story so I'm really hoping that plot thread picks back up, but with the anime's odd schedule (10 regular episodes, two recaps, no idea if they're recaps of the OVAs or not, seems a bit short for six of them, and one "special") I'm wondering if they might just reboot the story for this series and start over.
admin
September 12, 2013 at 3:21 pmHeh, indeed it was – thanks. I'm not actually sure how that happened, to be honest.
Riliane
September 12, 2013 at 4:05 pmI'm really conflicted about Magi. On one hand the Magnostadt Arc is certainly the best Arc in the series and as a Fan im thrilled to see it animated.
On the other Hand…seeing how much of a mess Yoshino created in the first season, I'm seriously worried just how much much he's going to screw up the series this time…
admin
September 12, 2013 at 11:47 pmTell me about it. I was on the fence anyway, but Yoshino is the deciding factor that kept Strike the Blood out of this preview.
Ronbb
September 12, 2013 at 4:22 pmI am quite happy with the current Summer season, and Fall seems to offer many choices — I am seeing a busy schedule ahead.
My two most anticipated are Pupa and Samurai Flamenco — great talent like Mochizuki Tomomi or Omori Takahiro can totally make a difference in a show and leave an impact on its viewers. For sure I will check out the other NoitaminA series. I am curious about Daiya no A and Kill la Kill mostly because of the studios. Golden TIme, Yowamushi Pedal, Nagi no Asukara, Kyousogiga, and Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~ all pique my interest. I am also curious about Kyoukai no Kanata wondering if KyoAni will do something like Hyouka, and I am attracted to the voice cast in Gingitsune. These are just shows that catch my attention from your post, and I still haven't talked about the sequels… It's definitely gonna be busy.
Kaguya-hime no Monogatari is definitely the movie that I won't miss. It's not only because of Takahata Isao — although he is the biggest reason — but also because of its story. I have been waiting for Sakasama no Patema to be released, so I won't miss this one, as well. The 4 OADs/OVAs — especially Chihayafuru — are on my look-forward-to list.
Time to vote, and this is going to be a huge challenge — how can I nail it down to five shows?
Ronbb
September 12, 2013 at 4:29 pmHey Enzo, I wanted to vote for Pupa, but I can't find it on the sidebar. Will you add it in or should I just go ahead without Pupa? Thanks.
admin
September 12, 2013 at 11:50 pmI forgot it, sorry – it should show up any second.
Ronbb
September 13, 2013 at 12:11 amThank you, Enzo. It's really hard to nail down to five, but I did it and got them in :-).
elianthos80
September 12, 2013 at 4:38 pmooh impresive work as usual putting this together. And I had to lol at your musings over the upcomign Mari Okada series.
The two sports anime and Flamenco etc etc are the one I'm interested in. Then the Toei one (have to finish watching the OVAs yet though. I remember really liking the visuals and tone).
OVA and movies:
Chihayafuru (of course)
the third Madoka movie
Kaguya
GiTS:Arise II
I'm dreading watching Harlock because of the CG. When applied to human characters it always tends to give me the uncanny valley vibe… and it's a different uncanny from the one (ab)used in Kingdom s1 too. Basically it'll up to the strenth of story and script to make it palatable for me.
yause
September 12, 2013 at 5:42 pmRegarding co-productions, it's usually less a matter of collaboration than of limited resources. Basically, the production committee will try to hire a single studio, but if capacity is limited, a second one is hired to share the load (alternative is to delay the project, but committee members are often more concerned about launching at a strategic time than ideal production circumstances). Sometimes the leading studio is completely uninvolved except to select the main staff and facilitate the planning meetings.
MCAL
September 12, 2013 at 5:48 pmA list of shows I am watching with my expectations for them:
Infinite Stratos (Guilty pleasure)
Valvrave Season 2 (It will be over 666/100)
Arpeggio of Blue Steel (Unknown expectations. It is Kishi after all)
Tokyo Ravens (Low expectations)
White Album 2 (I had a love/hate relation with the first series. And I'm sure you can imagine where the hate came from. But people are saying this one is much better and it actually has the original writer of the VN writing the anime, which I don't think has ever happened be it VN, LN or manga.)
Little Busters Refrain (Couldn't wait. Finished the VN. High expectations)
Golden Time (Moderate to High expectations)
Coppelion (Low to Moderate expectations)
Nagi no Asakura (Low expectations)
Kyoukai no Kanata (High expectations)
Yozakura Quaratet Hana no Uta (High expectations)
Kill la Kill (Unknown expectations)
Samurai Flamenco (Moderate expectations)
Galieli Donna (They'll make a girl based anime around anything will they? Low expectations)
Kyousogiga (Moderate to high expectations)
Pupa (High expectations. This is Mochizuki-sensei directing after all.)
Shows I'm watching from previous seasons are Hunter x Hunter and Detective Conan and that's it.
MCAL
September 12, 2013 at 5:50 pmOh and if you were wondering Enzo. White Album 2 is completely unrelated to the first season, so if you haven't seen or hated the first series, there is no problem.
Ronbb
September 12, 2013 at 7:03 pmWhite Album surprised me — I would never imagine that I would like a harem show. I started off hating it to ended up liking it — it's one hell of an emotional roller-coaster ride. I am conflicted about White Album 2 though. I am unsure about the high school setting but intrigued by it having Maruto Fumiaki helming the series composition. I think I will check out the first few episodes but will be skeptical since there are really many shows that pique my interest.
admin
September 12, 2013 at 11:54 pmToo many wrong buttons pushed for me with the first season of White Album. I'll probably watch the premiere anyway, now that I know it's an unrelated storyline.
Ronbb
September 13, 2013 at 12:34 amI hear what you're saying. What got me into White Album was the college setting, and that's it. It was annoying, and I don't know where on earth I got the patience to stick with it. It's until the last third of the show that things changed and got better — apparently the show got a different director for the second half. As for the new season, I am curious about what Maruto Fumiaki will do. I don't know if I will keep it though, given that we have many interesting shows in the coming Fall…will see.
Samurai Jack
September 12, 2013 at 5:52 pmI'm finding fall 2013's selection of anime to be some of the most interesting in a long time. For once, it feels like there will be an equal airing of shows that won't just be moe fanservice stuff. There's a great number of shows that look to be very action-oriented and others with animation styles that look very detailed and not just simple schoolgirl comedy shows.
Anime series I'm interested in this fall are:
Coppelion [I enjoyed Mardock Scramble and K enough to check out anything new from GoHands]
Tokyo Ravens [Will check out after finishes airing]
Kyoukai no Kanata
Pupa [Needs animated trailer]
Blazblue Alter Memory [Been waiting for an anime of this since Calamity Trigger first came out back in 2008/2009]
Samurai Flamenco [Manglobe is one of my favorite studios, especially when they make original series like Samurai Champloo and Ergo Proxy]
Galilei Donna [Needs animated trailer]
Unbreakable Machine-Doll [The earliest trailers had some pretty unique animation and lighting, it was one of my earliest picks for "must watch," but now I'll be waiting until it finishes airing]
Kill La Kill [If I watch only one new anime this fall, this will be it]
Log Horizon [Mostly interested in this one because of Jouji Nakata's character]
Strike the Blood [New vampire show that looks like it could be good, will wait till after it finishes airing]
Non Non Biyori [Looks like a nice slice-of-life show]
Yozakura Quartet: Hana no Uta [Haven't seen the original, but I like the Durarara-like character designs]
Yuusha ni Narenakatta [New Asread show, willing to give a look based on that alone]
Nagi no Asukara
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio [New Kishi/Uezu series, Jinrui was one of my favorites last year]
Ace of Diamond [Two favorite big name anime studios, will wait till after it finishes]
Neppu Kairiku Bushi Road [Needs animated trailer]
Golden Time [Modern romance not centered on middle/high school]
Gingitsune [Will watch for the animal spirit/human interactions, I hope they make a Shirokuma Cafe 2 next year]
Valvrave 2 [Haven't watched the first season yet, but interested in watching after it finishes airing]
I don't think I've ever been interested in that many different anime series in a single season before, however there's no way I'll ever have the time to watch all of those as they air.
The only anime series I'll be checking out will be the two Noitamina shows, Blazblue, and Kill La Kill.
Everything else will be put on hold until they finish airing.
Aside from that, the only non-anime series airing this fall I'll definitely be watching no matter what will be Legend of Korra Book 2.
For movies, I'll be watching Sakasama no Patema and Space Pirate Captain Harlock whenever they get a BD or DVD sub release, and GitS Arise once all 4 movies have been released and subbed.
Also, has it been confirmed that Kill La Kill will be 25 episodes?
Gary Cochran
September 12, 2013 at 9:54 pmYozakura is a great show. Go and watch the 1st season and a 3 part OVA before this season start.
Samurai Jack
September 13, 2013 at 2:47 pmYeah, I've been meaning to watch Yozakura for awhile, but I'd wait for this new series to end before I watched it.
Is it anything like Durarara?
admin
September 13, 2013 at 2:48 pmI wouldn't compare it to Durarara myself – very different in tone.
Samurai Jack
September 12, 2013 at 6:05 pmSorry for the long post, didn't think I typed that much…
I have to say, I'm very interested in Gingitsune now. Didn't know Miki Shinichirou was voicing the deity. I was hoping to hear his voice in the trailer. Might check this one out too.
Silverblade
September 12, 2013 at 9:21 pmNo Coppelion preview? Because together with Kill la Kill it's the only things that I paln to watch starting October. Oh, and Magi, too. I love the manga too much to not watch it. Even if it will hurt me.
What I don't understand is the expectations towards Pupa. It's incest trash, no way around that.
admin
September 12, 2013 at 11:57 pmPupa has possibly the best director in TV anime. That's the main source of my interest, although those I know who've read the manga seem to rate it highly.
Coppelion looks pretty cookie-cutter to me. As always I'll check out the premiere prepared to be surprised.
sonicsenryaku
September 13, 2013 at 12:32 amI was super psyched about Pupa due to the fact that mochizuki would be directing it (it was actually my most anticipated series of the fall season) but i become seriously let down when i learned that the source material had so very…how do you say…"unnecessary aspects" (at least in my opinion). Here's hoping mochizuki eliminates those aspects completely and gives us the dark and gripping tale this series is meant to be (i know his sense of story-telling and intelligence is far above that stuff).
Silverblade
September 14, 2013 at 12:33 pmAh, the director is already revealed about it. Guess that makes sense. However, personally I wouldn't put Mochizuki anywhere as high as that. I like his adaptation of House of Five Leaves and that's probably it.
Copellion reminded me of Yormungand in how it goes about its action aspect with some nice camerawork from GoHands. Nothing more to it.
ishruns
September 12, 2013 at 9:47 pmBeginning with Summer and Spring, I think the former had so many more high quality shows than either the latter or Winter I ended up watching almost as many shows in Summer than Winter+Spring.
A correction on Golden Time (one of my most anticipated). The MC is NOT being chased by the crazy childhood friend. The friend the MC makes on the first day IS. Classic Toradora though that the MC and her try to get her with the friend who likes someone else.
No Meganebu. I'd rather watch that than IS and I will. I also found Coppelion and Strike the Blood worthy of an episode at least, not to mention KnB S2.
Definite:
Nagi no Asakura
Diamond no Ace (big fan of the manga)
Non Non Biyori (loved the PV)
Galilei Donna (I liked the PV)
Magi S2
Gingitsune (what a cast)
Yowamushi Pedal (loved Over Drive and same with YP)
Golden Time (JC has a special place)
Super Seisyun Brothers (I'm all for this over IS)
Pupa (Horror is rare and can be either dirt or diamonds)
Kyousogiga (saw the OVAs and they were lunatic)
KnB (sports is always in)
Meganebu (Megane bishounen are always the best bishounen)
Poke with a stick approach:
Log Horizon (Satelight are one of two of my least liked studios)
Kill la Kill (Gainax are in the bottom half of their fluctuations in quality)
Samurai Flamenco (The most least liked studio for me)
Tokyo Ravens
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio
Neppu Kairiku Bushiroad (Jap 101 and 201 did not help explain this title)
Coppelion
Strike the Blood (looks like Ao no Exorcist art)
Definitely a potential step down from Summer but also a possible step up. All in all I have 9 shows that will end in October and I think I'll be able to replace them with quantity from Fall, if not quality.
chris Bennett
September 13, 2013 at 8:47 amWhat's your problem with Satellite as a studio, they've done Aquarion Evol, Basquash, Heat Guy J and Noein (an absolute classic). Admittedly they have a few stinkers, but they have created some genuinely great Sci/Fi productions. Out of interest who is the other least liked?
Lastly as you've read Diamond no Ace, is the focus on characters (like Chihayafuru S1) or the sport (like Chihayafuru season 2). Chihayafuru is the only sport anime i've watched, unless Free counts
chris Bennett
September 13, 2013 at 8:48 amWait, Basquash kinda counts as a sport anime…
ishruns
September 13, 2013 at 11:19 amAll the shows you've mentioned, didn't like em. Aquarion was particularly appalling and no different, actually worse because it was two-cour, than IS.
The other studio is Manglobe. My personal belief is that Manglobe start ambitious projects that they do not have the staff to do well with and as a result ruin good manga adaptations. The only Manglobe production I have ever completed is an eroge adaptation. I also hate how they ran Hayate no Gotoku's sequels. JC did a 1000 time better job.
Diamond no Ace, is very focused on the sports side. Think a more manly Oofuri.
admin
September 13, 2013 at 12:51 pmCould there be a less manly Oofuri?
On Manglobe, have you watched either Saraiya Goyou or Mashiroiro Symphony? I think the first is truly great, and the second isn't all that far off.
Hangman
September 13, 2013 at 1:46 pmMichiko to Hatchin is a quality effort with a refreshingly realized Latin American backdrop too. Strong feminine voice in its direction which seemed pretty rare during its release.
yause
September 13, 2013 at 5:06 pmManglobe does a pretty good job on the productions they care about (particularly their original works).
But yeah, they phone in many adaptations, often outsourcing more than half the episodes even in a single cour series. It's increasingly cheap outsourcing too, to companies no reputable studio would rely on. The Hayate production was amazingly bad.
This isn't about being overambitious and running low on talent…..rather Manglobe has no financial stake in these projects (spend more = lose more, gain nothing even if the show turns out to be a mammoth hit), so they're burning through the contracts at lowest cost. It's bad business, but producers know that they can deliver quality when it really matters.
ishruns
September 13, 2013 at 7:02 pm@GE I watched Mashiro Iro (it was the eroge I mentioned), it was in fact the reason I started following your blog, as no one else blogged it.
On Saraiya Goyou, it didn't suit my tastes though I liked Ristorante Paradiso a lot.
I personally detest Manglobe. If they adapt a manga, I'd rather read the manga then watch their adaptation. Unlike JC, Madhouse, White Fox or Brain Base they're name under studio is a negative not a positive.
chris Bennett
September 13, 2013 at 8:36 amThe Legend of Korra book 2 starts tonight, any plans to blog this season like the last? Also you did not include Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home in the movie section, does that mean its not really on your radar. I'm personally pumped for it, I absolutely adored the characters in the series. Also PA works with a theatrical budget; it's sure to look incredible
admin
September 13, 2013 at 10:19 amHanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home came and went from the theatres already, so it wouldn't show up on a preview post. I don't know the BD release date offhand but I'll likely do a post on it.
I'm undecided about Korra. The ending of the first season was a disappointment, and I was never really happy with the character side of the show.
Hangman
September 13, 2013 at 2:06 pmInterested in Ippo obviously. Ace of Diamond perhaps…
Pupa provides the least amount of info and is more intriguing than anything else for it. Almost everything else (while it may be good and all) looks like something from seasons past. I'm so with you on Samurai Flamenco though – let's do this..
Awet M
September 13, 2013 at 2:43 pmWill be watching Golden Time, Kill la Kill, and Coppelion.
As for the rest, i'll leave it to the decent judgment of reliable bloggers like Enzo, PSGELS or Scamp to churn up buzz or piss on the hype.
sonicsenryaku
September 13, 2013 at 5:36 pm"The truth is that Kyoto Animation has only produced two series in the last decade – Kanon and Hyouka"….yup dat sounds about right (and i know this doesnt fall into the "series" category since it was a movie but the disappearance of haruhi suzumiya was yet another exceptional work from kyoani, if not my favorite and it is definitely worth mentioning); here's hoping Kyokai no Kanata meets my expectations and gets added to my list of favorite kyoani works. I am a bit skeptical on whether the show will deliver the goods but i really want it to.
From what ive seen, it has a bit of the cutesy stuff that Kyoani is known for but word of mouth says that the story gets progressively dark; and from what ive read from interviews, the screenwriter added extra elements that werent in the LN to make it a more gripping, dark, and personal tale about what it means to live and what it means to push forward in the world. I truly hope this series has what it takes to pull those themes off cohesively without getting lost too much in the cutesy stuff or even the action for that matter.
Altritter
September 13, 2013 at 8:03 pmSince you didn't cover it, I'm wondering what your familiarity with Hajime no Ippo is. It's a superb series, but if you aren't caught up it's understandable that you wouldn't cover it, as it's a pretty huge time investment at this point.
admin
September 14, 2013 at 12:12 amI have some experience with it and I respect its place in manga history, but it just never grabbed me, for whatever reason. I wouldn't suspect I'd cover the new season but I'll give it a chance.
Hangman
September 14, 2013 at 12:31 amThe first series is Madhouse genius. I sincerely hope the new one will be.
Altritter
September 14, 2013 at 7:50 pm@Enzo: I see, thanks for the quick answer.
@Hangman: In my opinion the material that this season's going to adapt is when the manga was at its absolute peak, so I really hope Madhouse does it justice. I'm sure they will, though.
Zeta Zero
September 14, 2013 at 3:08 amI see Silver Link are attempting to get in on the the city-kid-goes-to-the countryside market.
Might check out Galilei Donna and Samurai Flamenco. Pupa looks interesting.
Zeta Zero
September 14, 2013 at 3:24 am+ the Studio Triger series.
Zeta Zero
September 14, 2013 at 9:10 am+ Coppelion
Kim
September 14, 2013 at 11:35 amI am following less this summer but what I am following I am really enjoying. Contrast that with the spring & winter I was following more but ended up being underwhelmed for the most part.
For the fall I am most interested in: Kill la Kill, Ace of Diamond, Kyoukai no Kanata, Samurai Flamenco, & Pupa.
I think following less worked best for me in the summer so I plan to do the same in the fall.
Kim
September 14, 2013 at 11:39 amOops forgot Gingitsune that is one I am definitely interested in as well.
belatkuro
September 14, 2013 at 5:00 pmFall is slated to be jam packed and as always, I plan to pick up a lot of it since a lot of the current shows will be finished in a few weeks. I tend to only stick to the ones I picked initially before the season starts and just pick up the others when I hear good things about them. There's a lot of sequels as well so it's sure to be very busy.
My picks for this season and my comments for the ones I'm most anticipating:
Blazblue: Alter Memory
*Golden Time – Read 2 volumes of the LN and reading the manga. I fear this will be heavily judged and compared to Toradora. I didn't even know it was from the same author when I started it. It's a good story and I hope JC will do it some justice, though that's expecting too much.
*Galilei Donna – Noitamina shows are definitely an instant pick for me. I like the synopsis and the character design so I'll be expecting a lot from this.
Gundam Build Fighters – Obligatory Gundam, even if it's just GunPla.
*Hajime no Ippo Rising – Third season finally. I wonder who they'll replace for Kamogawa's seiyuu as Utsumi Kenji has already left us. In any case, more Ippo is good and the fights to be covered are awesome.
*IS 2 – More of a guilty pleasure. And the best girl will finally be animated. So yeah.
*Valvrave 2 – First season was a riot so I wouldn't want to miss this.
*Kill La Kill – Not really joining the hype wagon for this, even though TTGL is one of my favorite shows of all time. I still like what I see here but my expectation isn't as high as people is hyping this to be.
*Kyoukai no Kanata – KyoAni is definitely another instant pick and I like what I saw in the PVs. We'll see.
*Kuroko no Basket 2 – Second season and the matches later on are the better ones. The first season was really great so I'm expecting the same quality or even better.
*LB Refrain – Still liked the first season and Kurugaya will get a focus now. Plus the secrets of the world. Will try my best to avoid spoilers.
Log Horizon
Kikou Shoujo was Kizutsukanai
*Magi 2 – Second season. I'm slowly working my way in the manga and started from the beginning(currently at climax of Balbadd). Heard this will be good and the PV shows it. Hope it delivers.
*Nagi no Asukara – I've read 2 chapters of the manga and I have 3 letters for this: NTR. Just a slight thing though. PA Works, Buriki and Okada Mari is sure to make things interesting.
Ore no Nounai
Outbreak Company
Phi Brain 3
*Samurai Flamenco – The other Noitamina. DRRR/Baccano director is not a bad thing and the tagline and promo pic is enough to grab me as well.
Sekai de Ichiban
Strike the Blood
Tokyo Ravens
Walkure Romanze
White Album 2
Still have doubts on whether to pick up:
Pupa
Diamond no Ace
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio
Thatguy3331
September 15, 2013 at 2:43 amBesides looking forward to railgun ending so I can finally listen to I've sound 3(I only watched for the sisers arc, so I don't know nor care what the rest is), here's what I'm looking forward to this fall.
Kyousogiga: I'm a complete and total sucker for high paced zany-ness and insanity, so even if I can't put the plot together for me this is just for pure fun.
Kill la Kill: Admit tingly this is purely for fun to( Oh let me be real here, everything I watch is for fun and I only occasionally go for something truly dark and serious, like montser which I'm planning on starting soon) As far as it turning into a train wreck… I think its possible, but I'll enjoy the show for as much as I can before that happens.
Kyoukai no Kanata:…Can I just say I'm really happy we're getting a lot of action series that have a chance to be good? I like slice of life and all but sometimes I long for some good ol' fashioned action series,which I haven't seen a whole lot of that has truly caught my interest. I know nothing of the novel and much like you I'm not a kyoani fan-boy or hater, but this certainly does interest me.
Little busters refrain: I saw the first season so I may as well see this, especially since this seems to be where the heavy material is.
As usual I'll probably pick up more series as I go along the season. and since I am a fan of the manga for magi, I'm really only looking forward to some of the action scenes being animated, I agree that Aladdins the more interesting character (and my favorite personally aside from mor) but Alibaba in the manga was a lot more likable at the very least so seeing what they did to him in the anime really REALLY pissed me off.
Thatguy3331
September 15, 2013 at 2:47 amAs far as Yozakura Quartet, I'll probably just do my usual bit of just sticking with the manga and only dabble into the anime whenever (I haven't started yet).
zeiva
September 15, 2013 at 8:51 amI'm not sure if you have read Magi manga, but Alibaba has always been more of a main character in the manga, moreso than Aladdin – a decision that I always criticized because the title is supposed to be about Aladdin.
But Alibaba, at least in the manga, is actually one of the more interesting characters. Watching his growth has always been my favorite part of the manga. Aladdin on the other hand has always feel like a much weaker character. It doesn't help he wasn't given much screen time.
I'll stay clear from the anime, because of how bad the first season is. They have totally killed Alibaba's character.
I also look forward to Ace of Diamond. A very good manga for sport lovers! I'm hoping for a faithful adaptation.
Samurai Jack
September 16, 2013 at 3:48 amI just read volume 1 of the Pupa manga, only chapters translated at the moment.
Have to say, the anime definitely has my interest a lot more now. I hope Pupa has Sankarea-quality animation though. I kind of wish it was animated by Madhouse, the gore levels of Pupa would have worked out better too, considering the series Madhouse has worked on.
Looking forward to an animated trailer and air date for Pupa. The main female character in the manga reminds me of Kotoura-san.
Zeta Zero
September 17, 2013 at 2:19 amSo far, from the little we've been given, I'm getting a Lupin III-esque vibe from Galilei Donna. I'm hoping it's something like that, or better.
aeris-888
September 17, 2013 at 3:49 pmJust curious, but why do you think Kill La Kill will be a trainwreck?
So far the only shows I'll be watching are Galilei Donna (since I've always been intrigued with the world Umetsu creates), Kill La Kill (huge, huuuuge fan of Gurren Lagann and Trigger's recent output Little Witch Academia was so much fun as well), Pupa (let's see if Mochizuki can channel his inner-Junji Ito, body horror is not something we often see in anime), and Kyousogiga (the ONA was bizarre, hilarious and ridiculously short!).
Whoa! A lot of shows with lead female MCs. Good! 🙂
admin
September 18, 2013 at 12:04 amI can't really state my concerns about Kill any differently than I did in the post. They're mostly gut-level, and I hope they're wrong.
Croos Cruz
September 27, 2013 at 6:28 am>I wish anime seasons synched up with the Tokyo weather.
I hope not.
Its can be good for anime for its theme but it would restrict some story.
Samurai Jack
September 27, 2013 at 2:44 pmNo mention of the mini Pokemon series, Origins? I think it's been confirmed to be four episodes long, each being an hour long, and it focuses solely on the first Pokemon generation of the Game Boy years. It doesn't star Ash Ketchum, it stars the protagonist of the original games, but he's voiced by Naruto's voice actress. Not sure if that was a good decision or not. I'm probably just going to imagine Naruto trying to be a Pokemon master.
Tomokazu Sugita and Rikiya Koyama are confirmed to voice Brock and Giovanni respectively, so that sounds interesting.
Here's a trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL675OZ2s0g
elijah
September 27, 2013 at 5:47 pmNon Non Biyori and Gingitsune being announced as 2 cour should mitigate some of the grief pupa being revealed to be a 5 minute webseries has caused you, Enzo.
MCAL
September 27, 2013 at 9:50 pmWait… I saw and niconico part, but where was there confirmation on five minutes?
admin
September 28, 2013 at 12:11 amYeah, now I'm hearing that's unconfirmed.
Ronbb
September 28, 2013 at 5:44 amLove that Golden Time is confirmed to be a two-cour, but hope that Pupa isn't a 5-minute show. No, please, no…it's my most anticipated.