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Old Mother Hubbard’s got nothing on fans of good anime this season.
Pre-season expectations aren’t always met by performance. And thank goodness for that, because a pretty mediocre 2014 doesn’t look as if it’s going to be bailed out by its final slate of shows.
Is Fall 2014 the worst season – on paper – since I’ve been an anime fan? Probably not – but I can say for sure it’s the worst since I’ve been doing season previews. But as they say, they don’t play the games on paper. And once you dig beneath the unusually large pile of LN adaptations and moe shows and hit the substrata, there are a few series that seem to pack the potential to be not just watchable, but among the best series of the year.
We can only hope.
If there’s one thing that I find most distressing about the current trends in anime, it’s the decline in quality of original series. I once looked to originals as the shining hope of an anime schedule, and not all that long ago. But over the last several seasons they’ve been getting more and more generic, more and more unabashedly patronizing. What we’re seeing is the transition of original anime from a showcase for top creative talent to an opportunity for production committees to design shows from scratch to try and reach into the pockets of the niche audiences that keep them in business. When the marketing department starts to choose the creative direction, you’re not far away from the order to abandon ship.
As such, rather than from original series we have to look to manga adaptions almost exclusively (because novel adaptations are unicorns and LN adaptations are rarely more than watchable) if we hope to get real quality on a schedule. Happily there are two of them this Fall, Kiseijuu (Parasyte) and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, which not only have the potential for greatness but a committed two cours to try and achieve it (a rarity indeed in this day and age). We also have a couple of sequels of manga adaptions that are sure to deliver, Yowamushi Pedal: Grande Road and the second season of the sublime and timeless Mushishi. So all is not lost, even if the light at the end of the tunnel might be an oncoming train.
As for trends, apart from the aforementioned decline in the ambition of original series what I see more than anything is a larger than ever list of shows that aren’t even in the running for coverage – as seasons go, this one looks to be very top-heavy. There are a few elites, a bunch of non-starters, and very few shows that seem destined for the “good” to “very good” range or that have obvious sleeper potential. I managed to find 18 shows I could muster the interest to preview, which isn’t many for a fall season, and there are some genuine reaches on that list. Genre-wise, there are no obvious trends apart from the growing dominance of harem LN adaptations and cute girls in various guises shows – sports has nothing new on offer, sci-fi and mecha continues to carve out about its average slice of the pie, and one or two shoujo and horror series manage to claw their way onto the docket.
In personal terms, look for this to be a light season for me, as I need to dedicate myself fully to pursuing visa-sponsoring employment in Japan (so perhaps it’s not the worst time for a weak season). My threshold for coverage is going to be very, very high.
As always, please vote for your most anticipated series in the sidebar poll!
With that, to the previews:
Amagi Brilliant Park – Kyoto Animation
Director: Takemoto Yasuhiro
Writer: Shimo Fumihiko
Schedule: Thursday 26:04, Tokyo MX – Premières 10/02/14
Episodes: 13
First Look: Frankly, there hasn’t been much from Kyoto Animation since Hyouka that inspires a lot of confidence in me. And I’m not especially drawn in by the premise of this series, which involves trying to draw 100,000 visitors to an old amusement park to prevent its closure. But Amagi Brilliant Park is a reunion of the writer, adapter and director of Full Metal Panic, which is one of KyoAni’s less formulaic shows, and creator Gatoh Shoji also handled series composition for the often-sublime Hyouka (and the novels’ content was changed quite dramatically). Good writers make good anime, generally speaking, and you know the production values are going to be at least above-average. I’m hopeful there’s more here than meets the eye.
Nanatsu no Taizai – A-1 Pictures
Director: Okamura Tensai
Writer: Suga Shoutarou
Schedule: Sunday, 17:00, MBS/TBS – Premières 10/05/2014
Episodes: TBD
First Look: This is one of those series that will almost surely be pretty good, but is unlikely to be special. Suzuki Nakaba’s Weekly Shounen manga is in the hands of a very experienced writer and director with fine track records (especially Suga) and a competent studio. I’ve read a bit of the manga and I find it to entertaining and fairly witty, if totally unexceptional, and there’s not much reason to expect the anime to be different. It’s the story of the daughter of an assassinated king who seeks the help of the “Seven Deadly Sins” in taking back the kingdom from the usurping Holy Knights. It is quite early for an anime (the manga is just two years old) and I’m not especially fond of the casting apart from rising star Sora Amamiya as Elizabeth, the daughter. But if this isn’t a solid weekly watch, I’ll be quite surprised.
Gundam Build Fighters Try – Sunrise
Director: Watada Shinya
Writer: Kuroda Yousuke
Schedule: Wednesday, 18:00, TV Tokyo – Premières 10/08/14
Episodes: TBD
First Look: Gundam Build Fighters ended up being one of the pleasant surprises of 2014. It’s not as if the show was anything great, but it was a lot of fun – certainly the funniest Gundam series I’ve seen – and steadfastly refused to take itself at all seriously. It also featured one of the all-time great MILF characters in anime history, who practically had one of the halls at Comiket all to herself. Changing the entire cast and placing the sequel 7 years later is a bit of a gamble, but with Kuroda-sensei writing again “Try” is a pretty good bet to recapture most of the irreverent fun of the original. I sort of regretted not blogging GBF – we’ll see how it goes with “Try”.
Gundam G no Reconquista – Sunrise
Director: Tomino Yoshiyuki
Writer: Tomino Yoshiyuki/Yatate Hajime
Schedule: Thursday, 24:00, MBS – Premières 10/02/14
Episodes: Two Cour
First Look: It’s a huge season for Gundam, in recognition of the 35th Anniversary of the franchise. In addition to the above GBF sequel, we’re getting Reconquista in G – and no question, this is a big deal for hardcore fans. Gundam creator Tomino is returning to direct (and seemingly piss off as many people with rude comments as possible),and legendary Eureka Seven character designer Yoshida Kenichi is on-board. Even for a Gundam dilettante like me, it’s clear this is a big deal.
The first three episodes of Reconquista have actually screened in theaters already, though I haven’t heard much feedback apart from praise for the visuals. It would certainly seem this is a priority project for Sunrise, and the premise is classic Gundam, centering around a young cadet and the female space pirate whose “G-Self” mobile suit he defeats in battle. I’m not expert enough to place this series in the Byzantine franchise canon, but it appears to be more closely related to Tomino’s “UC” than any other Gundam series.
World Trigger – Toei
Director: Hongo Mitsuru
Writer: Yoshino Hiroyuki
Schedule: Sunday, 06:30, TV Asahi – Premieres 10/05/2014
Episodes: TBD
First Look: We have not just the creator of Outlaw Star working this season, but the director too – which I suppose is something at least. This Shounen Jump entry is even younger than Nanatsu no Taizai (it premiered in February of 2013) which leads me to believe Shueisha wanted to get an adaptation out of one of their next gen titles and didn’t want to burn their more valuable entries like Shokugeki no Soma too early. World Trigger isn’t exceptionally popular or well-reviewed and my expectations were middling, but when Hongo-sensei was attached and it was revealed that Kawai Kenji would be doing the music, my interest level perked up considerably. The story concerns a group of mysterious alien momnsters called “Neighbors” who mysteriously start showing up through a gate that’s randomly appeared. The main character is a humanoid Neighbor, and the story follows his relationship with those assigned to fight against the invasion. Not a bad concept – we’ll see if this might just be a sleeper.
Psycho-Pass 2 – Production I.G.
Director: Motohiro Katsuyuki/Shiotani Naoyoshi
Writer: Ubukata Tow
Schedule: Thursday, Time TBA, Fuji TV – Premieres 10/2014
Episodes: 11
First Look: You won’t see Gen Urobuchi’s name anywhere above, and he’s listed only as “Original Creator” for this sequel. Is that good or bad? Tow is an experienced hand, and Psycho-Pass exemplified everything that irritates me about Gen (mainly his inability to finish and his unwillingness to take a side) but it was also his dystopian sensibility that made the original series so interesting. I liked Psycho-Pass but it was on the whole overrated, and certainly not a show that left me thinking it cried out for a sequel – I’ll be watching this one, but my expectations are frankly pretty modest.
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso – A-1 Pictures
Director: Ishiguro Kyouhei
Writer: Takao Yoshioka
Schedule: Thursday, Time TBA, Fuji TV – Premieres 10/2014
Episodes: 22
First Look: Along with Parasyte, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is certainly my top non-sequel pick of the season. On paper there seems to be nothing standing in the way: the source material is a Taisho finalist and Kodansha Award winner that puts one in mind of a middle-school Nodame Cantabile. It’s a NoitaminA that’s been given two cours to tell its story. The director and writer are talented and experienced enough to avoid screwing this up. All signs point to yes.
The devil is in the details, so we’ll see – but this is one of those series that you feel are becoming so rare that it would almost be a tragedy if it wasn’t a masterpiece. The manga is ongoing, which is certainly a cautionary note, but 22 episodes should be enough to do justice to what’s out there. This is a good story – a boy genius pianist who loses his mother and suffers a breakdown rendering him unable to hear his own music, and the girl who draws him back into the world of beauty. To say I have high hopes would be an understatement – if anything it’s a struggle to keep my expectations in-check, because I don’t want to be disappointed if Shigatsu ends up simply being a good series.
Donten ni Warau – Dogakobo
Director: Haraguchi Hiroshi
Writer: Takahashi Yuuya
Schedule: TBA, Nippon TV – Premieres 10/2014
Episodes: TBD
Preview:
MAL:
First Look: At first glance nothing much stood out to be about Donten ni Warau, except that it didn’t look exactly like every other anime adaptation. And in this day and age that counts for a lot. Closer examination reveals that the manga is very well-reviewed, and the storyline is quite interesting. It’s the tale of three brothers in the dying days of the Samurai, whose job it is to escort prisoners to an island prison. It’s a shoujo, which might give some clues as to what sort of tone to expect. This one is kind of a mystery to me, but I’m certainly curious to see what it brings to the table.
Kiseijuu: Sei no Kakuritsu – Madhouse
Director: Shmizu Kenichi
Writer: Yoknemura Shouji
Schedule: Thursday, Time TBA, Nippon TV – Premieres 10/09/2014
Episodes: 24
First Look: At long last Iwaaki Hitoshi’s legendary manga comes to the screen – with both this anime and a live-action film currently in production. One might gripe about it having taken so long, but at least we got here eventually, and this is one of my most anticipated series of the year.
Madhouse seems like the perfect fit for Kiseijuu, and while some manga fans have complained about the designs I think the previews look quite good. I wouldn’t have minded seeing an A-list director rather than a rookie, but apart from that I’m pretty hyped. Parasyte is one of the most creepy and unsettling horror manga out there, a story of parasitic aliens who take over human brains by crawling into their ears or noses while they sleep, and the one that ends up burrowing into the protagonist’s arm instead. It’s a scary and often shocking series, but also sometimes quite funny and always character-driven. With 24 episodes to cover 64 chapters I think Madhouse can do right by Kiseijuu, and this is another one of those shows that almost has to be a classic if this season is going to be a decent one.
Hitsugi no Chaika: Avenging Battle – BONES
Director: Masui Souichi
Writer: Machida Touko
Schedule: Thursday, 25:05, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/02/2014
Episodes: 1 Cour
First Look: If I were to pick one show in all my blogging career that was most perfectly balanced on the fence, it might be Hitsugi no Chaika. I could never commit to covering or dropping it, and ended up following it to the end of the first season and enjoying it to a reasonable degree. The second will have to be better than the first in order to gain a spot on the blogging schedule, and my experience with these sorts of grey area series is that I tend to lose interest when the sequels come around, but Chaika did end on a modest uptick so perhaps it will be an exception (though as it airs on Thursday this season, the competition is going to be pretty fierce). I like the series for its unpretentiousness and willingness to make the audience be patient – it seems a very atypical LN adaptation in many ways. Hopefully the second cour gives me enough reason to stay with it.
Sora no Method – Studio 3Hz
Director: Sakoi Masayuki
Writer: Hisaya Naoki
Schedule: Sunday, 22:30, Tokyo MX – Premières 10/05/2014
Episodes: TBD
First Look: Why does every show I’m interested in this season seem to be airing on Thursday or Sunday? It may not be a conspiracy but it may as well be.
There’s really one reason why I’m interested in Sora no Method (it’s the product of a new studio, 3Hz), and that’s that it’s the first series in more than a half-decade from former Key head writer Hisaya Naoki, who was the creator of Kanon (for me Key’s finest work) and after Key the hugely underrated Sola. It’s always a bit of a downer when creative heavyweights like Hisaya and Mizushima Tsutomu are reduced to cute girls being cute shows if they want to work, but I’m enough of an admirer of Hisaya-sensei that I’m going to give this series every chance to prove it’s more than it appears to be. The trailer reveals little evidence to that effect, nor does the tagline “The wish of a few girls was realized with a miracle. In the skies above the town, a disc is always there”. But I’ll be repeating the “In Hisaya we trust” mantra as I watch the first couple of episodes in hopeful trepidation.
Akatsuki no Yona – Studio Pierrot
Director: Nagasaki Yukio
Writer: Intosume Shinichi
Schedule: Tuesday, 23:00, AT-X – Premieres 10/07/14
Episodes: TBD
First Look: Wai! A Tuesday series…
Is shoujo fantasy making a comeback? Pierrot – who’ve historically specialized in the sub-genre – gave us the excellent Soredemo Seikai wa Utsukushii in Spring, and they return with this manga adaptation that has my interest piqued. It’s the tale of a pampered princess whose father, the King, is killed by the cousin she’s been in love with since childhood. This is a genre that tends to work pretty well for me generally speaking, and there are a lot of sleeper signs – the manga is extremely well regarded, and rather than being classic shoujo mangaka Kusanagi Mizuho’s art reminds me a lot of Watsuki Nobuhiro’s. Akatsuki no Yona also has the distinction of being quite openly set in Korea, which can be a bit of a problem with the large segment of the fan community and larger Japanese public (though less so in this demographic) that’s unapologetically racist against Koreans. All in all this one sits near the top of my second tier in terms of anticipation.
Ookami Shoujo to Kuto Oni – TYO Animations
Director: Kasai Kenichi
Writer: Hiarayashi Sawako
Schedule: TBA, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/2014
Episodes: TBD
First Look: Wolf Girl and Black Prince is a much more traditional shoujo, a classic school romance setting with a bad boy male lead. It sounds pretty silly – a girl makes up a fake boyfriend based on a photo, when it turns out the guy in the photo is her classmate she makes him her real fake boyfriend, and while he projects a nice-guy image he turns out to be a mega-sadist. I kind of get the sense this out could either be a real surprise or a complete disaster, depending on how seriously the series takes itself.
Denkigai no Honya-san – Shin-Ei Animation
Director: Sato Masafumi
Writer: Fudeyasu Kazuyuki
Schedule: Thursday, 22:30, Tokyo MX – Premières 10/02/14
Episodes: TBD
First Look: There’s a bit of a Working! vibe to this adaptation of Mizu Asato’s manga, and that’s the peg on which I’m hanging my hopes. The setting is a manga store in an Akihabara-like urban neighborhood, and the hero is a shy young adult who’s just taken his first job with a staff of oddball co-workers. As someone who worked in and managed bookstores I’ve always thought that with their invariably quirky employees and customers this was a natural setting for a manga/anime, and it’s always surprised me that we haven’t seen more of it – and any series featuring working adults is a welcome thing in my book. I can’t vouch for the source material and the staff has no outstanding names, but this is a show I’d really like to see succeed.
Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road – TMS Entertainment
Director: Nabeshima Osamu
Writer: Yoshida Reiko
Schedule: TBA, TV Tokyo – Premieres 10/2014
Episodes: TBD
MAL:
First Look: What a delight it is to see Yowamushi Pedal achieve the success it so richly deserves (and I so richly predicted). Not only is Yowapeda itself a terrific series, but its popularity got mangaka Watanabe Wataru’s other manga, Majimoji Rurumo, a wonderful anime this season. Watanabe-sensei is a real talent, a writer of boundless wit and heart, and by all accounts one of the true nice guys in the business.
Content-wise things should be pretty straightforward here – it’s the much-anticipated third day of the Inter-high, which sees first Hakogaku and then Sohoku having clawed their way back to catch Kyoto Fushimi and the Chimera cyclist, Midousuji-kun. We don’t know if this season will also be three cours, but Yowapeda has proved popular enough in terms of disc sales and massive merchandising tie-ins to hope that we might eventually see something close to a complete adaptation of the manga, which is still ongoing. It’s not the staggering monster hit with females that Haikyuu!! and Kurobas have been, but it’s a hit nonetheless – and the sports manga that’s perhaps most effectively crossed over to the new audience while still retaining a sizeable chunk of the old.
Trinity Seven – Seven Arcs
Director: Nishikori Hiroshi
Writer: Yoshino Hiroyuki
Schedule: Tuesday, 25:40, TV Tokyo – Premières 10/07/14
Episodes: TBD
First Look: This manga adaptation is strictly flyer territory based on a pretty good director and the manga’s decent reputation. The story seems very generic – “Black Sun” causes the destruction of the town where the typical teenaged dude lives, hot girl magician appears, and Mad Libs it from there.
Sanzoku no Musume Ronja – Polygon/Ghibli
Director: Miyazaki Goro
Writer: Kawasaki Hiroyuki
Schedule: Saturday, 19:00, NHK-BS – Premières 10/11/14
Episodes: TBD
First Look: Ghibli hasn’t ventured into the weekly TV series realm since forever, and the fact that they’re doing so – and under the direction of Miyazaki Goro no less – should have been cause for celebration. But this is a 100% CGI series by the same studio that’s doing Sidonia no Kishi, and as if that weren’t cause enough to moderate expectations, the recent news regarding Ghibli’s future leaves us with the possibility that this computer-animated series could well be the studio’s final work. And that would be a tragic irony indeed.
Astrid Lindgren’s children’s book series Ronja the Robber’s Daughter is quite beloved, and there’s a good chance that Miyazaki will be able to deliver an entertaining series for kids. But the trailer looks every bit as brutal as one might fear – as with Sidonia the character animation is unspeakable – and seeing Ghibli designs and backgrounds paired with that animation is going to be a disconnect I find very hard to overcome. Irrespective of Ronja I sincerely hope that this isn’t Ghibli’s farewell work, because anime and the world at-large would be diminished by their passing.
Mushishi Zoku Shou – Artland
Director/Writer: Nagahama Hiroshi
Schedule: Saturday, 24:30, Tokyo MX – Premieres 10/18/2014
Episodes: 12
MAL:
First Look: Saving the best for last, we have Mushishi – a gift to anime, and anime’s gift to the world. Timeless, ageless, heartbreaking, fantastic and beautiful – there’s nothing else like it.
It’s hard to imagine anyone will be watching this season without having watched at least the first season of Zoku Shou, so a synopsis seems redundant. It’s remarkable how little Mushishi changed in the eight-and-a-half years it was gone – it returned as if it had never left, as magical and mystical as ever. You’ll rarely see backgrounds this beautiful or writing this subtle and profound, or stories and characters that will stay with you for so long. Mushishi is special, and this season will bring the comprehensive adaptation of Urushibara Yuki’s manga to a close. Artland’s financial adventures may have given it more fits and starts than ideal, but if we get through this cour (and with Artland, it’s never safe to assume) Mushishi will – like Hunter X Hunter – be that exceedingly rare great manga that gets the anime adaptation it deserves.
Will Definitely Blog: Mushishi Zoku Shou, Kiseijuu, Shichigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, Yowamushi Pedal Grande Road. Yep, that’s it – though as usual, there are enough wildcards lurking that even intentionally cutting back my workload, a couple more at least are guaranteed to stick..
Sleeper Candidates: Donten ni Warau, World Trigger, Akatsuki no Yona, Denkigai no Honya-san
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OVA/Movie: A decent-sized group of appealing OVA releases are on-top this season. Among the candidates:
Shinryaku!! Ika Musume (OAD) – 9/8/2014: Special episode bundled with Volume 17 of Squid Girl. I adore this series and have from the very beginning, so this is one I’m really looking forward to.
Fantasista Stella (OVA) – 9/18/2014: I’m always interested when a new sports anime pops up, and this OVA for the popular soccer series may be a precursor of a series to follow. I haven’t read Fantasista Stella but what I hear is generally positive.
Gokukoku no Brynhildr (OVA) – 9/24/2014: Ah, Brynhildr. This series was one of the oddballs of 2014, a satire posing as a sci-fi/horror thriller. It ended too soon, forcing a rushed conclusion, but I enjoyed it a lot – and this is the sort of show that generally transitions extremely well to OVA.
Watashi ga Motenai no wa Dou Kangaete mo Omaera ga Warui! (OVA) – 10/22/2014: The definite star of the Fall OVA calendar for me. It seems almost cruel to make fans wait a year after the series finale for an OVA, but I’m certainly glad to have it. Watamote was one of the best series of 2013, as black as comedy gets and painfully true-to-life in it’s depiction of social anxiety and depression. If there were any justice in the world it would have been a hit on disc and earned a sequel, but it hit far too close to home, I suspect. At least the manga is popular…
Kuroshitsuji: Book of Murder (OVA) – 10/25 and 11/15/2014: Fresh from having knocked Circus-hen out of the park, A-1 Pictures gives us a two-episode OVA to cover the next arc in the manga. That seems alarmingly short, but these are apparently screening briefly in theatres, so there’s some speculation that each is 45 minutes long.
Suisei no Gargantia: Meguro Kouro, Haruka (OVA) – 11/21/2014: Two episode OVA (Episode 2 ships in April) introducing a new character. I’m pretty much over this series at this point, but I’ll check these out just in case there’s a surprise hiding here.
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Theatrical: Without a doubt the least interesting seasonal theatrical calendar I’ve seen. Makes the TV schedule look like an embarrassment of riches.
Ghost in the Shell ARISE – border:4 Ghost Stands Alone – 9/06/2014: They just never stop, do they Zephyr?
Trailer:
Uchuu Senkan Yamato 2199: Tsuioku no Koukai – 10/11/2014: A recap film, so honestly not much to see here.
Trailer:
Shingeki no Kyoujin Zenpen: Guren no Yumiya – 11/22/2014: See above. That beeping noise is the AoT gravy truck backing into the dock – get used to it because you’ll be hearing it for years at the very least.
Trailer:
madmou
September 11, 2014 at 1:15 pmI read Akatsuki no Yona, and I think you'll like it a lot. c:
admin
September 11, 2014 at 1:37 pmI have high hopes. That's probably my top pick after the four shows I pretty much know I'm going to be immersed in.
That Latin@ Chick
September 11, 2014 at 2:07 pmhey there enzo I'm extremely happy akatsuki no yona is being animated trust me you will not be disappointed. I seriously hope you blog it because the story is BIG a lot of the major questions that you might have in the series has yet to be answered in the manga. The story starts off kind of slow but the development of yona is amazing and her comrades are greats~~(as for her cousin I think you will have a fun time analyzing him) and I seriously hope Pierrot animates the series until the current arc in the manga (I'm slightly hoping this will be 39 episodes >_<) if anything enzo maybe you can do a manga chapter review like you did with chihayafuru once the anime is over. I'm sooo excited for this its been a long time since I have been excited for a well-written female character in both manga/anime (which goes to show how rare that is in this area) You can bet I will be commenting on every post for this series.
That Latin@ Chick
September 11, 2014 at 2:10 pmAlso Enzo I think this is a better trailer for Akatsuki no Yona (yeah I know the another one is longer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3gTtIQfE9Q
admin
September 11, 2014 at 2:57 pmTY for the link.
Nhan Vo thanh
September 11, 2014 at 2:21 pmVery informative, thanks.
I have read the Trinity seven manga. It's generic harem shit.
And you won't watch Shingeki no Bahamut? The trailer looks very good.
admin
September 11, 2014 at 2:56 pmI'll watch the premiere. It didn't do much for me in preview form.
Dee
September 11, 2014 at 2:33 pmTrapped in a work meeting, so thank you for posting this and keeping me from boredom. XD Have some comments!
Honya-san looks potentially delightful. And nice to see a couple shoujo on the schedule. "Is shoujo fantasy making a comeback?" – In the name of the moon, I sure hope so. It's easily my favorite genre. Plus, you know… if this is all a preamble to Pierrot finally getting around to animating "Genbu Kaiden," I mean… I wouldn't say NO to that…
Even if the new shows are a total bust (and there look to be at least a few that won't be), I'm excited for so many sequels that I still see this as a solid season. Mushishi and Yowapeda are of course wonderful, but I also ended up really liking Chaika, so I'm pretty stoked to see how that story ends. And I'm suddenly interested in Psycho-Pass 2, simply because Ubukata Tow is doing the writing (I haven't seen Mardock Scramble yet, but Le Chevalier D'Eon would make a lot of Top 10 Lists for me).
No "Fate/stay night"? I remember you blogging Fate/Zero so I thought you might give the prequel remake a try. I don't know a lot about the VN but I kinda loved F/Z, so I'm cautiously optimistic. If nothing else, it should look really nice.
That said, weirdly enough, I think my most anticipated "anime" of the fall is The Legend of Korra: Book 4 (it counts!). Did you end up watching Book 3? I know you were frustrated by Book 2 (I was, too), but "Change" was seriously excellent – as good if not better than A:tLa's "Earth" Book. I'd recommend it if you haven't tried it yet.
admin
September 11, 2014 at 3:02 pmBook 3 was easily the best Korra so far. I get the sense Nick just wants to blow thru the material at this point and be done with it, but at least we won't have a long wait.
Remember, just because I don't preview a show doesn't mean I won't watch the first episode or more. Honestly, I really grew tired of F/Z by the end – the appeal wore pretty thin. And I never even made it through F/SN, so I'm skeptical a moefied version will win me over. I'll watch, but with limited expectations.
dromeus
September 11, 2014 at 7:31 pmFate/stay night is anything but a mofied version of Fate/Zero. I don't know where you got that impression.
admin
September 11, 2014 at 10:02 pmI said a moefied version of the first F/SN.
Roger
September 12, 2014 at 8:25 amActually, the first one is the more moefied version. This one seems to be aiming for a similar tone as that of Fate/Zero since they are only adapting the UBW route.
admin
September 12, 2014 at 2:50 pmThat runs contrary to what I've been reading, but I admit I haven't studied the matter closely.
Smith Dunmer
September 13, 2014 at 1:42 amThe only moefied one is the magical girl Ilya one… UBW is dark and gets into the deeper facets of the type-moon verse and Heavens Feels is easily the darkest even much darker than Fate/Zero still the original Fate/Stay Night is amazing but non type moon guys will probably never understand it so yea
Roger
September 13, 2014 at 2:00 amJust a heads up. Ufotable is also doing a Heaven's Feel movie, which I believe they would release alongside the series. So, you now have two choices on what to follow.
Rita
September 13, 2014 at 3:33 amI highly disagree with Heaven's Feel being shafted into movie form for the same reason UBW didn't work as a movie. There's too much content to be put into just over an hour. It didn't work when Ufotable made the UBW movie and I don't expect the pacing problems to go away for Heaven's Feel either.
HF is also my favorite route in F/SN which means I would've been even pickier to begin with.
Smith Dunmer
September 13, 2014 at 4:19 amHow would they manage it as a TV series with the level of censorship they have these days…?
DiabloCthulhu
September 13, 2014 at 5:22 amUBW movie was made by Deen.
It's highly likely that there's gonna be several HF movies. And I doubt that they gonna be hour and the half long. Ufotable and Type-Moon are not stupid and I think they know what they're doing.
Altritter
September 11, 2014 at 2:41 pmWondering what you think of Terra Formars- though considering it didn't make the preview it doesn't seem likely blog material.
admin
September 11, 2014 at 3:04 pmTried the manga and truly, legitimately hated it.
And yes, I do think the cockraches are racist. But that's not why I hated it. It was the bad writing that did that.
Altritter
September 11, 2014 at 3:07 pmFair enough!
Helen Bell
September 11, 2014 at 2:55 pmYou know a season looks dismal when I'm actually considering watching a harem LN series that looks like it may be the "best of the worst", so as to speak. From what I've heard, Madan no Ou to Vanadis has all the typical harem/fanservice gags (ugh), but it also focuses on tactical battles, political intrigue and seems to have some interesting world-building (it's apparently based on Slavic mythology- a huge weak spot of mine, and the sole reason why I'm even remotely considering this- well, that and the fact that that it's got Tomatsu Haruka in her first new lead role all year- reprisals don't count). I might give Amagi Brilliant Park a shot too, just for the Gatoh factor. Of course I'm assuming that the adaptations don't get butchered…
Shigatsu's definitely a must, and Donten ni Warau and Akatsuki no Yona seem promising as well. I know Parasyte's highly regarded, but it's just not my brand of horror- the manga gave me nightmares, so I don't know if I'll be able to stomach it.
Kaitou Joker looks adorable… yes, it's a children's manga, but an award-winning one, according to sources. It's cute, okay? And I like this kind of cute.
(You can probably tell that I'm mildly desperate here, heh.)
admin
September 11, 2014 at 3:05 pmThis kind of lineup will do that to a person.
Rita
September 11, 2014 at 3:52 pmAkatsuki no Yona is getting animated!!! *insert shouts of glee here*
I honestly missed that, so I'm super glad you do these previews. It's one of my favorite mangas. I won't say its amazing or ground breaking, but it's consistently fun to read. Also, I always love Mizuho-sensei's characters in all her works, especially the lead characters. Really weak and passive leads in shoujo is one of the parts I really dislike about it, so any change is always welcome. One of her older works, Mugen Spiral, was a lot of fun too, but sadly got canceled.
I remember a while back someone asked for shoujo recommendations in the vein of Soredemo, and I threw this one out there. I feel kinda proud in a silly way now. I consider Yona just as strong a lead as Nike, but while Nike started strong and independent, Yona grows into it after having her life ripped apart. But they're both stubborn, proud and don't sit on the sidelines. It definitely isn't the same vibe as Soredemo though. While Nike and Livi's romance was the main focus and strength there, I feel the character interactions and developments are the main strength for Akatsuki no Yona. The romance takes a long time to develop (I'm still shouting at the manga for being the biggest cocktease ever like COME ON) but it's still a great series.
As for being set in Korea, I got that vibe from some of the clothing and locations, but to be totally honest my first thought was ancient China. Maybe they confirmed it outside the series, but nowhere in the story itself is it even mentioned. Its more like fantasyland based on feudal Asian country so I'm not sure it'll be all that big a deal, hopefully. I really hope it isn't, it's a lovely series that I really don't want people picking on because of something as silly as what country the setting was based on.
Now if someone would animate Akagami no Shirayuki, I would die happy. And I'd bet you'd be able to here the screams of excitant all the way in Japan. Favorite shoujo series ever bar none.
That Latin@ Chick
September 11, 2014 at 4:50 pmYes Rita I'm super excited to talk about akatsuki no yona with someone >_< I agree the character interactions are the best in this series and the political drama is also interesting. Also as for the romance cocktease *cough* Hak needs a hug*cough* is the funniest thing ever lol. Can't wait for October~~
admin
September 11, 2014 at 10:03 pmThe character names are a 100% tipoff that it's Korea.
Rita
September 11, 2014 at 10:52 pmOh right, forgot about that. It's like when you read something for so long you forget the names actually seemed odd at first. Derp.
Yona and Hak can pass but I guess with names like Soo-won and Jae-Ha it's pretty clear cut. Ironically I remember thinking "hey I think these names are Korean" but then lik 60+ chapters later it completely slipped my mind.
admin
September 11, 2014 at 11:02 pmNot of this should matter a rat's ass, of course, but when you see stuff like what happened with Sakurasou (a huge uproar over the use of a Korean delicacy in one scene) it's a reminder of how xenophobic many otaku are. I think that's less true among fans of shoujo than of traditional otaku titles, but living here the degree of overt racism against the Chinese and especially Koreans is quite shocking at first and impossible not to notice.
Rita
September 12, 2014 at 12:56 amTo be fair, it's not just the otaku. That xenophobic undercurrent is pretty widespread in Japan as a whole, just not as severe/obvious. Most of the people I meet in Japan are nice enough, and there are a lot of people who are actually pretty open-minded and not in the least racist. But then on the other hand, there are a lot of things said super casually that kind of make me go "ummm" when I'm around them as well so it varies.
At the very least, yes is definitely more noticeable when I compare it to my experiences with Americans.
admin
September 12, 2014 at 1:19 amI think I was pretty clear that it's a society-wide problem, not just with otaku.
witchhuntress
September 18, 2014 at 10:22 pmHaving read some manhwa (Korean equivalent(?) to manga), and seeing that names resemble Korean names (knowing due to watching those Kdramas around), I do believe you're right, Enzo. Manhwa, manhua (Chinese equivalent to manga), and manga that were set on ancient times of Korean, China, and Japan respectively have people who wear what seems to be Chinese-originated clothing. How true this is, I'm not sure. But there's a pattern somewhere.
I stopped reading AnY when it was just a few chapters out. I won't pick it up with the anime airing soon, but I've heard good things of the ongoing manga. It reminds me of some Chinese manga/manhua I've read with the politics and all and other anime with this kinds of royal conflicts. Will be looking forward to it, and some I might enjoy when I see their first episodes.
brent
September 11, 2014 at 7:20 pmI certainly hope its better than the mediocre Summer season, the only shows i look forward to watching are Baby Steps and Gekkan Shoujo.
Though this did give me time to start and nearly catch up with Hunter x Hunter – and yes,its every bit as awesome as you said it would be ^.^
Btw your MAL link for Akatsuki no Yona mistakenly links to Barakamon
admin
September 11, 2014 at 10:06 pmThanks, fixed.
SixFlags
September 11, 2014 at 8:03 pmParasyte! I had no idea that this manga is getting an adaption. I can still remember the impression it had on me, right at the time when I started to get hooked on manga. I am still following his more recent "Historie" since then, man time really flies.
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso also looks really interesting. Looking at the list of nominees for the Manga Taisho award, it is kind of a shame that so many of them have not been translated or published here in Europe
Stöt
September 11, 2014 at 8:07 pmStudio Ghibli doing Astrid Lindgren's books? How could it not be a masterpiece? This is how. Jesus titty-fucking Christ, 3D CGI is the single worst thing Ghibli could have dabbled in.
It's such a shame too. Astrid Lindgren was approached by Studio Ghibli some 30 years ago or so, when she was still alive but she declined their offer. She probably just didn't understand the medium….What could have been, ey?
Geebun
September 11, 2014 at 9:00 pmLooks like my top 5 is something like :
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Kiseijuu
Akatsuki no Yona
Fate 2014
and for the soundtrack by Shikata Akiko alone Cross Ange
Looks like a pretty average season overall after this summer which was pretty good in my opinion even though it had a few let downs. Hunter X Hunter ending alone will lower the season rating for the futur seasons.
Rita
September 11, 2014 at 9:26 pm*zooms over*
I heard Shikata Akiko's name.
I hadn't even heard of Cross Ange but now I'm obligated to watch it for the music. I don't think Shikata Akiko's ever done music composition for an anime before, just opening or closing songs. I adore her music though. Hanakisou's soundtrack is forever on loop on my iPod.
Although given that sunrise is also releasing a new Gundam, I can't help but feel that any other mecha show they have planned is gonna kinda get shafted.
BUT SHIKATA AKIKO. I would sit through so much worse for her <3
currycurry
September 11, 2014 at 9:20 pmFree! S2 has been actually fantastic — not as good as Hyouka but up there — so there's some comfort that Kyoani hasn't lost it just yet. Hopefully Amagi Brilliant Park is one of the good ones.
A good line of shoujo — Akatsuki no Yona, Donten ni Warau, (possibly) Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji. Isn't this many shoujo unusual? Also, a bit shocked how good Yona looks animation-wise. Saw a 4 minute preview a few days ago and wow. Is this really from Studio Pierrot?
Dude, Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is two cour? And a 22-ep noitaminA show to boot? …got to keep the hype in check. TOO REAL.
Besides those, giving the new Ufotable a try, but we'll see. Couldn't endure Shiro's casual sexism enough to finish the original FS/N, but this new version appears to focus on my favorites so.
Then, Yowapeda. ♥
admin
September 11, 2014 at 10:09 pmI've said this before, but if you understand Pierrot in a historical context you wouldn't be so surprised when they release a great-looking anime. They're capable of it and always have been – it's just that in the last few years a lot of their focus seems to be on underbidding other studios to crank out cheap adaptations. But even of recent vintage, I thought Soredemo looked quite good, and Tokyo Ghoul is a very attractive show.
currycurry
September 11, 2014 at 10:23 pmIt's not that I don't think they're capable of it, it's that they usually produce low-budget shows. As great as Soredemo looked you could tell a number of shortcuts were made.
So it's weirding me out a bit that the budget looks to be higher than usual. You won't hear any complaints from me, though! Think we might have lucked out on Yona.
Simone
September 12, 2014 at 4:03 pmShiro's kind of a shitty character in general, a bland male lead if there ever was one. Which is a pity because Fate S/N could at least work well as an action series, and I dig the aspect of the servants being real heroes from the past. Fate/Zero would have been great if it didn't have to pay lip service to S/N. Now they have a possibility to fix that up, let's hope they don't screw up.
Zeta Zero
September 28, 2014 at 12:29 pmF S/N could be better than it is, the problem is it just not ambitious enough.
Kurama Hitsugaya
September 11, 2014 at 10:35 pmI just watched the trailer for Ronja, and it looks like a cutscene from a PS1 game…
Rita
September 12, 2014 at 12:53 amI think you're giving the PS1 too much credit there, but I know what you mean XD
Gary Cochran
September 11, 2014 at 11:42 pmI gotta disagree with your assessment of Psycho Pass being overrated. I thought it was great sci-fi anime and had a compelling story and great characters.
Zeta Zero
September 28, 2014 at 12:33 pmAgreed, watching extended edition confirmed that.
gigaknight21
September 12, 2014 at 12:01 amEnzo –
It's rare that something I read here makes me go watch something I had no interest in prior, but I think an off-handed comment you made in a review for Buddy Complex (man…why did I watch that entire thing?) made me go and watch Gundam Build Fighters. You are so right – really under-rated show.
I hope this sequel is just as good, and that you blog it this time around! Out of curiosity, how much Gundam have you seen? I know you enjoyed it, but a big part of the appeal of that show is the constant references to Gundam lore…
admin
September 12, 2014 at 3:18 amI don't know exactly… A fair amount, but a small fraction of the massive amount that's out there. Not enough to get all the jokes.
Helen
September 12, 2014 at 1:26 am"This one is kind of a mystery to me, but I'm certainly curious to see what it brings to the table." I've read 10 or so chapters of Donent and it's still a mystery to me, there's "slow burning set-ups" and there's "well that was either a half baked idea or an idea with terrible execution". Like, Hakkenden last year was a slow burn while it set things up but it still had the characters doing SOMETHING while this happened, mostly setting up side characters to bring in later on, Donten is doing pretty much nothing except trying to be mysterious and deeeeeep and so far just failing.
Now to make sure I'm not just stoned by your followers, man I am so happy to see all the other manga fans for Yona here in the comments, I'm sure you've seen me squee over it at least once in the past year, although I wouldn't say the series isn't "obviously" set in Korea. "Takes heavy Korean inspiration in names and visuals the same way Story of Sauinkoku did with Chinese imagery and names" but power-wise and map-wise it looks nothing like Korea so I don't think we need to worry about racist Japanese viewers spitting all over it too much. Now just to pray they get the pacing right because holy looking at the production art they're already pretty far, if not right out at the end, of the first major arc.
Rita
September 12, 2014 at 4:06 pmTo be fair the first major arc actually wasn't that long (unless we're thinking about different end points)
Helen
September 12, 2014 at 7:59 pmI think we are, I'm saying that the first "major" arc was the "gathering allies" part, ie up to the part where the POV switches to Soo Won for a bit (and the scanlations are barely past there so I think that's about 40 chapters or so?). The way I look at it the manga is now in it's second "major" arc where we're focusing on each individual area of the kingdom and how both Yona and Soo Won have been dealing with them (I've been reading some summaries on tumblr so I hope I left that vague enough).
Rita
September 13, 2014 at 1:22 amOk yeah we were definitely thinking of different end points XD I considered the end of the first arc to be right after they meet the holder of the dragon's arm, but then again Akatsuki no Yona doesn't have any real clear cut arcs. It's kinda just…continuous in the next event.
Helen
September 13, 2014 at 1:57 amYeah, I think of that as an "arc" in a "major arc" which really drives home how Yona's actions and thoughts have been changed, those smaller arcs tend to focus more on the other characters so it's really a weird balancing act in the end. XD
That Latin@ Chick
September 13, 2014 at 4:55 pmIn terms of arcs I kind of gave them names. (enzo can totally delete this post if he finds this spoilery) First arc was essentially finding everyone, then the fire tribe arc, and lastly the water tribe arc that just ended in the Japanese raws. If anything I think the first two arcs will be animated but here is hoping that current arc that ended will also be animated because it has Hak strongest reaction to you know who in the series. I thought it was a very powerful moment for him. I have seen on their twitter they are very far ahead and it seems in terms of music production its going to be great.
Rita
September 14, 2014 at 5:36 pmSee, that depends on how many episodes it's getting. If we're only getting one four like Soredemo, I'd rather they not rush through to reach the current manga arcs.
That Latin@ Chick
September 14, 2014 at 10:43 pmThat's the thing since zeno is in the trailer I'am wondering how far it will go. so much story happens when the team is finally together so I guess we can hope they at least make it to the second major arc after they get together. The third current arc is pushing it but we shall see so far it has not been confirmed how many episodes it will be. One can hope right?
Helen
September 15, 2014 at 12:45 amYeah, it's been in production for a year already so I'm hoping for two, with that they can go past the current scans to the end of the fire country mark which would be a really good point, shows real progress for Yona and Soo Won with a neat semi-ending.
admin
September 15, 2014 at 1:00 amWhen you're this close to the premiere with no announcement, it's almost always 1 cour. Hopefully not, but I wouldn't anything different.
Rita
September 17, 2014 at 6:20 pmBut that makes it really awkward because of the way Yona's storytelling structure is set up, there's no clear "break" point within the first two "arcs" (up to the fire tribe) that could really spin off into a good ending point. Soredemo had it a lot easier in that sense, since the end of the Duchy of Rain arc could quite literally have been a series ending and it would've wrapped a lot of things up nicely.
But for Akatsuki no Yona, there is no clear distinction and to be blunt if they ended it where I assume they're going to, they've got a lot of loose ends to tie up.
whemleh
September 12, 2014 at 3:11 amI really don't trust in A-1's ability to make shonen adaptations, so I'm pretty tepid about Nanatsu no Taizai. I actually really enjoy the manga, and I think it could be pretty great if they put actual time and money into it, which I don't feel like they will. And yeah, the casting is pretty questionable. I know you didn't spell it outright, but Kaiji is a terrible fit for Meliodas. Actually, it might just be the casting choices that have me tepid about series…
Also, question: I've never watched a Gundam series besides Wing (please don't shame me), would I be totally lost if I tried picking this new one up?
Even if this new season turns to slop, I think I'll be okay as long as I have more Chaika ^_^
Nhan Vo thanh
September 12, 2014 at 4:14 amyou'll be fine. Reconguista seems to stand alone.
John Hunt
September 12, 2014 at 4:30 amI think there's been some sort of misunderstanding but Hajime Yatate isn't actually a real person. From Wikipedia:
Hajime Yatate (矢立 肇 Yatate Hajime?) is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.
"Hajime Yatate" is considered to be named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi:
“ 是を矢立の初めとして、行く道なほ進まず (Kore o yatate no hajime toshite, Ikumichi naho susumazu)
This was the first time I used my travel writing implements, and I was still reluctant to venture farther.
admin
September 12, 2014 at 6:05 amLOL – that'll teach me.
sonicsenryaku
September 12, 2014 at 6:25 amyou'd be surprised at the amount of "subtle" hype that is building around the second season of chaika..Im really surprised that there are people genuinely glad to see it return
Megaroad1
September 12, 2014 at 11:01 amGundam Reconguista is the first Gundam by Tomino in over 15 years I wonder if he's in a good mood or will give us the classic "Kill em' All" Tomino treatment.
Roger
September 12, 2014 at 11:18 amKill 'em all is unlikely. The guy seems to have gone past that stage. And he did say that G-Reco is intended for the kids more than the older fans who are familiar with his signature style. So while he will probably throw hin some character deaths, he might not do an all out death fest. Of course, i could also be wrong.
Hangman
September 12, 2014 at 12:38 pmAll I ask is that he stay away from the tears of war in space crescendo set by preceding series. I think he managed to with Turn A, so hopefully we'll see something truly refreshing from the franchise here.
segafreak2000
September 12, 2014 at 11:07 amI'm mainly hyped for only two animes this season – Parasyte, something which I've been looking forward to for a very long time, and Mushishi since I've got into it about two weeks ago. Seeing how it's still a month away, it gives me more than enough time to catch up on the episodes I'm still missing. Those two seem like the perfect candidates to get me over the loss of the HxH anime, so that works okay for me.
The rest of the season doesn't look that good – I'll probably watch YowaPeda since I've watched the first season as well, though I'll probably wait a bit and make a marathon out of those episodes – I always do that for sports anime.
Simone
September 12, 2014 at 12:34 pmIn the sidebar poll I had two really odd picks besides Parasyte, World Trigger and Fate Stay/Night, namely Inou Battle and Twintail.
The reason for the first is that despite it being a LN adaptation that screams disaster it's done by Trigger, and I'm hoping for them to liven up this otherwise trite fare somehow. I'll probably give it only an episode.
As for the second, I mean, it's about a Yuji Everylead the Bland™ who receives from a mysterious girl the power to transform INTO A MAGICAL GIRL. It could be a standard power fantasy but then again, gender bending is a power few would fantasize about. So I'm hoping this turns out to actually be a tremendously self-aware parody of the Boy-meets-Girl-gets-magical-powers-then-an-harem genre. 9 out of 10 it's probably going to be just a generic crappy ecchi show but then again, NouCome on paper should have been as well, and it had some hilarious moments. So what the heck, gonna check out this first episode too.
Hangman
September 12, 2014 at 12:46 pmDonten ni Warau has the most most intriguing promo art this season.
But then again, so did Pupa, Tokyo Ghoul and Kenzen Robo Daimidaler of previous seasons…
I'll admit the trailer for Parasyte looks good, I just hope the show oozes the style/tone it deserves. Do not want another TG scenario.
segafreak2000
September 12, 2014 at 1:27 pmI think with Madhouse responsible for Parasyte, it should work out well. Many expected them to censor Hunter x Hunter to hell and back starting with the York Shin arc, and now look what they did with the anime. They do put out a few bad animes occasionally, but as somebody who read the manga, I just can't see them screwing this up.
R Lawlied
September 13, 2014 at 8:56 amMadhouse tend to do well with manga adaptation (especially among the well-regarded ones), the only concern here is perhaps the rookie director.
Hangman
September 14, 2014 at 4:28 amMadhouse have come down in my esteem over the last few years if I'm honest. There used to be no doubt of their greatness, now it really comes down to the chosen staff and/or compromises.
maverickmann84
September 13, 2014 at 5:53 amShigatsu wa Kimi no Uso is prob the only non sequel show I'm interested in seeing. I'll watch the premieres of a bunch, but nothing is particularly jumping out at me. The manga of Shigatsu is pretty good, though it only has 18 chapters translated into English, so I'm not sure how many chapters are out and how they plan to get all of that into 26 eps. Some of the drama parts are a little bit absurd, but it's a really nice story and has a lot of great character interaction and growth.
Space Dandy
September 13, 2014 at 2:03 pmThanks for the review, Enzo, it was as interesting to read as ever. But what about Garo? You're not interested in it at all? I think the scriptwriter is kinda talanted.
admin
September 13, 2014 at 2:18 pmI never saw much in the franchise that drew me in. Kobayashi has been around a long time and certainly done some fine adaptations, but the source material isn't a big attraction for me here – it frankly struck me as pretty cheesy. I'll watch the premiere ready to be won over.
sonicsenryaku
September 15, 2014 at 4:01 amOk…..ill be the one to say it…..this fall season is perphaps deceiving us into thinking that it is mediocre, but really, there are going to be tons of gems that come out of it…i remember a time last summer where we thought the season looked weak and was genuinely surprised when that didnt turn out to be the case. This season just looks ugly that's all…there will be quite a bit of interesting anime coming our way….i……just……know it……damn my positivity
Hangman
September 15, 2014 at 4:37 amWell yeah. Summer looked better on paper, but resulted in the bleakest disappointment in a long while. If Fall turns out worse though, it'll be early retirement for some fans.
sonicsenryaku
September 15, 2014 at 5:01 amhaha truuuuuuueeee; the medium is too good tho in terms of what it can do and what it has accomplished with some of its best works (here's looking at you serial experiments lain) so i myself will never retire no matter how bad these seasonal lists get…….hopefully :)….but again….i have this feeling that this fall is just deceptively meh-looking…not terrible…just meh looking. At least with this summer season, while it didnt end up being amazing as i would have hoped (damn xerbec for not properly handling tokyo esp and it's a shame Zankyou no terror just ended up being good rather than amazeballs) it certrainly was a good season and certainly better than spring
Ronbb
September 15, 2014 at 4:38 amWell, first of all, wishing you all the best in getting your visa. Second, wishing you best of luck in getting a wife there ;P.
Now back to topic… To me, a season looks awesome enough when it carries shows like Mushishi…I really can't be happier. Other than that, there are a few other shows that pique my interest:
Kiseijuu — I think a lot of us here have been waiting with baited breath for the adaptation.
Akatsuki no Yona — it has an interesting premise and the potential to see some good character development.
Sanzoku no Musume Ronja — I'm curious to see what Studio Ghibli will bring, on top of the fact that this is a classic children's literature.
Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso — for simply because of the award-winning source material.
Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis — we probably will get some eye-candy from Mappa.
It's a short list, but focusing on some potentially quality shows before venturing into others works better for me.
Ganbatte in getting your visa!
f-licke-ri-ng
September 15, 2014 at 2:59 pmWhen I first started reading Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (and this was before the anime was announced) I kind of immediately felt that it had the potential to be a brilliant anime (although there are less than 20 chapters translated). Now that it's really being adapted, I'm hoping that I haven't raised my expectations too much – I really hate being disappointed.
elior
September 17, 2014 at 6:43 am@enzo about selector wixxox it not about card game at all this was only focused on character develoment and nothing else.there was at least only 1 game and they didnt event explained it.you should try it this is very interesting
witchhuntress
September 18, 2014 at 10:37 pmAt one point, I actually thought Akatsuki no Yona will be in the same anime season with Kamisama Hajimemashita season 2. Both were serialized in the same magazine, and it's on a roll with two/three(?) current ones being adapted now. I read there's some sort of anime festival this 19 or 20 around Kyoto(?). Not sure where, but somewhere. AnY and new and old seiyuus/staff for Kamisama will be there. Don't know if you'll want to attend though.
Are there any other anime festivals you know of for the upcoming ones? Where they show previews and stuff?
Anyway, the others I'm intrigued with are PsychoPass and that one 20+ eps anime. Mushishi too. Not too hyped with Ookami…; manga is funny, but it can also make me cringe at times.
witchhuntress
September 18, 2014 at 10:46 pmJust to add (sorry), OMG!! Ubukata Tow!!!! Or however his name is arranged! That guy wrote Mardock Scramble!! Idk if you've ever seen it, but I loved the 3 films based on his 3 books. I have the books too (only read a little, since I didn't want to spoil myself before). But yeah, him writing PsychoPass 2 just seems so fitting now. Mardock Scramble has almost the same atmosphere with PsychoPass to me. Almost.
Gary Cochran
September 19, 2014 at 1:26 amThe funniest show that hardly no one watched this season was Sabagebu! Lots of random LOL moments similar to Nichijou. Wonder what fall series will be the funniest?
John Gottschalk
September 19, 2014 at 8:08 amHmmm, there's not a single show on this run I'm really interested in, I'll give Psycho Pass2 a shot, because the first was ok, but I'm not extremely hopeful.
As for your top 2 picks, they have stylistic choices that put me off, I'm really not into shows where the characters are drawn pretty normal, and then you have exaggerated comedic moments. I really like the subtlety of a show like Hyouka, when someone hits someone else, it fits in the world, if someone is sad or frustrated their face doesn't completely deform.
Maybe shows with those things can still be good, but I just always balk at it when parts of a show are just obviously over-exaggerating . If they use metaphor like Hyouka or Ping Pong, I'm way into that, but not just bland over-exaggeration.
Kim
September 21, 2014 at 1:33 pmThe two that I am most looking forward to are more Mushishi & Akatsuki no Yona . I will definitely be checking out Fate Stay Night too (although I almost don't want to because I know if I want to buy it, it will cost a fortune).
Psycho Pass is a maybe. I felt the 2nd half and ending of the series was a let down but I am curious to see where it goes.
Shigatsu is something I am also interested in.
cshin9
September 25, 2014 at 6:36 amAkatsuki no Yona isn't actually set in Korea. It's like a fantasy version of medieval Korea, like there are fantasy versions of medieval Europe, medieval China, medieval Japan, etc. The author was going for generic Asian names, but they ended up sounding a lot like Korean (since if it sounds remotely Chinese, it won't be generically Asian anymore).
Zeta Zero
September 28, 2014 at 12:47 pmPsycho-Pass 2
Parasyte (screw TG)
ayu septiana
October 16, 2014 at 7:38 amwell then this season i'll focus on psycho pass because even im a girl, im actually kinda bored with shoujo manga . at first, ookami shoujo was good and seems different but the movement are fast so it was bored . i hope that ao haru ride will get second season .
ayu septiana
October 16, 2014 at 7:53 amwell,, i need more gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun . never imagined that kokuhaku will turns to a sign