Winter is here (and it’s only autumn).
I wish these season preview posts were more upbeat and optimistic, I really do. They’d certainly be a lot easier to write if they were. But most importantly, that would be an indication that the upcoming season was one to be really excited about. Unfortunately, though, that just hasn’t happened for a while.
That said, no season this year has proved to be a complete wasteland. Each of them has had one real standout series (Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Tsuki ga Kirei, Made in Abyss) and the most important sequels have generally delivered the goods as expected (mainly Boku no Hero Academia). And a few sleepers like Kabukibu! and Nana Maru San Batsu have lived up to their potential and filled out the schedule. If this is the new normal, at least it’s not a total loss as far as quality is concerned.
There’s a definite sense right now that anime is a medium in transition. Never have we seen a safer schedule, I don’t think, than this one. The sequels (worthwhile or otherwise) are mostly to massive hits – Osomatsu-san, Hoozuki no Reitetsu, Love Live, et al. Idols, otome series and cute girls shows are all over the schedule. But we seem on the whole to be transitioning away from anime’s age-old model of heavy reliance on manga as a source material. I don’t recall another season where traditional manga made up a smaller percentage of new series, and I’m almost certain I’ve never seen one with so many web manga, games and visual novels as their source. This is surely the least print-driven anime season in history.
The big variable right now seems to be Amazon and Netflix, and what influence – if any – they will have on anime’s production model. Anime has probably never been more mainstream in the U.S. than right now, and the entrance of these giants into the streaming wars is a big part of that. But serious anime fans have big issues with both companies’ business models (Neflix’ 3-month delayed releases, Amazon Strike’s ridiculous price structure), and there’s little evidence that the money they bring into the ecosystem has filtered down to the production houses (and their employees) themselves in a meaningful way. Some studios seem to be trying to adapt, while others continue to cling to the production committee model. And no one seems quite sure whether major change will happen or not.
As we look for beacons of hope, where does that standout show for Fall seem likeliest to come from? Well, there’s Mahoutsukai no Yome – which I consider to be a good manga rather than great, but which is (so far) benefiting from truly spectacular production quality. Frankly I don’t see a whole lot of other candidates – a second season of Hoozuki no Reitetsu (I’m not worried much about the new studio and director) and Kekkai Sensen (I am a bit worried about the director change) should deliver, but after that we pretty much jump straight into the sleepers. And who knows with those – even in a sleeper-heavy schedule those are by nature a crapshoot, and this schedule seems light on really intriguing sleepers.
Thematically we seem to be in pretty familiar territory (see above) for the most part. Fantasy may be edging out sci-fi this year, sports continues to barely register, and romantic comedy to exist mostly on the fringes of ecchi. All of the sure-fire production committee demographic targets are well-represented, but I don’t see any dominant themes in the small corner of the schedule that looks genuinely interesting. One other notable thing about this season is the near-total lack of A-list directors – apart from Hoozuki’s Yoneda-sensei, there aren’t a lot of names with big-time track records.
The sidebar poll is in the usual place – go get it. Without further ado, on to the previews:
Black Clover – Studio Pierrot
Director: Yoshihara Tatsuya
Writer: Fudeyasu Kazuyuki
Schedule: Premieres Tuesday 10/03, 18:25
Episodes: TBA
First Look: I have not read Tabata Yuuki’s manga, but pretty much every review I’ve seen runs along similar lines – unbelievably derivative, competent, generally unexciting. Black Clover isn’t one of Weekly Shounen Jump’s top sellers, and it seems to be getting their standard low-priority treatment (like World Trigger, for example) – lower-cost studio, journeyman staff. I actually like a lot of what Pierrot does and it’s another lean season, so I’ll give this one a look, but my expectations are modest.
UQ Holder – Mahou Sensei Negima 2 – J.C. Staff
Director: Suzuki Youhei
Writer: Yasukawa Shogo
Schedule: Premieres Monday 10/02, 25:00
Episodes: TBA
First Look: In the annals of anime history, few manga have been more ill-served by their adaptations than Mahou Sensei Negima. It’s no masterpiece, but Akamatsu Ken’s series is thoroughly entertaining and no doubt would have been highly successful with a straightforward, competent adaptation. Instead it received a series of disjointed and often-original TV and OVA treatments from numerous studios (to give you an idea how bad it was, Shaft’s was the best), which totally lost the charm of the manga.
Fast forward to 2017, and Akamatsu’s “Negima” universe gets another bite of the apple – and I’m once more worried. First of all, UQ Holder was not originally subtitled “Mahou Sensei Negima 2” – it seems to have been forced to become a linear Negima sequel when it didn’t achieve huge popularity in its original form. And there are strong indications (like the absence of certain characters from all promo material) that J.C. Staff intends to fast-forward through (or skip altogether) the UQ Holder portions of the manga and jump straight to the Negima-centric material. I like UQ Holder and I’ll go into this hoping for the best, but it just seems as if this mythology was born under a bad sign where anime adaptations are concerned.
Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara – J.C. Staff
Director Yonetani Yoshitomo
Writer: Yasukawa Shogo
Schedule: Premieres Tuesday, 10/03/17, 24:30
Episodes: TBA
First Look: I always worry just a little about whether Shokugeki no Souma will get another season, but so far we’re batting 1.000. While this show’s disc sales are almost non-existent (which actually puzzles me a bit), it has WSJ popularity going for it – but it’s not quite as popular as the magazine’s heaviest hitters. So far that’s been enough, and I’m glad – while I don’t consider this to be a classic or anything, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable series (especially if you love to cook). I didn’t think the second season was quite as interesting as the first – it largely bypassed character development in favor of the shokugeki action. But it was still a fun ride, and I’ll certainly be watching again.
Just Because – Pine Jam
Director: Kobayashi Atsushi
Writer: Kamoshima Hajime
Schedule: Premieres Thursday, 10/05, 21:00
Episodes: TBA
First Look: On paper, this original series from Pine Jam (who’re impressing me with Gamers this season) looks like the most interesting original of the Fall, and maybe even a candidate to be this upcoming season’s Tsuki ga Kirei. It seems to be a genuinely gender-balanced character drama, and has a distinct and at least superficially attractive art style. And the previews have been well-produced and interesting. But it has a first-time director, and writer Kamoshita Hajime (Sakurasou) hasn’t exactly blown me away in the past. I’ll certainly be tuned in and it’s high on my interest list, but I think there are good reasons to be skeptical.
Kino no Tabi: The Beautiful World – The Animated Series – Lerche
Director: Taguchi Tomohisa
Writer: Sugawara Yukie
Schedule: Friday, 10/06, 22:00
Episodes: TBA
First Look: Pretty much everything about this refresh of Kino no Tabi is new – the staff, the cast, the studio. To be honest the magic of this series was always kind of lost on me – it has its charms, but I could never quite understand what all the fuss was about. I think the original Kino no Tabi – like Durarara – predicted a lot of trends that would follow in anime, especially when it comes to light novel adaptations. When DRRR came back it seemed kind of tame and dated, a relic – we’ll see if that happens with Kino no Tabi.
Houseki no Kuni – Orange
Director: Kyogoku Takahiko
Writer: Oono Toshiya
Schedule: Premieres Saturday, 10/07, 21:30
Episodes: TBA
First Look: Houseki no Kuni (for some reason more often referred to by its English title – “Land of the Lustrous” – than most series) has a couple of factors that make it an interesting sleeper. The manga is pretty well-regarded, and the writer for the adaptation is Oono Toshiya (Tsuritama). That latter point doesn’t hold as much weight with me as it once did given Oono’s record since, but it’s still a point in this show’s favor.
The story surrounds a race of genderless immortals called “Gems”, which populate the Earth in the distant future who do battle with “Moon Dwellers” who want to turn them into jewelery (seriously). In the manga these Gems are apparently quite androgynous, though the anime seems to have (naturally) made them overtly female. There’s a lot of uncertainty with this one, and the premise sounds more strange than outright compelling, but it’s at least an intriguing unknown.
Mahoutsukai no Yome – Wit
Director: Naganuma Norihiro
Writer: Takaha Aya
Schedule: Premieres Saturday, 10/07 – 25:30
Episodes: 24
First Look: It’s been clear from the first previews that Wit’s take on Yamazaki Kore’s much-lauded and best-selling manga was going to be one of the most visually stunning anime in years. We were introduced to the material in an original three-episode preview OVA which was indeed ridiculously gorgeous, and did a very good job of setting up the story. Now, a two-cour TV anime waits in the wings, finally bringing canon manga material to the screen.
The first three episodes of the TV series were previewed in theatres this summer, and while I won’t spoil content I will say they were superb – and maintained the stratospheric visual standard of the OVAs. I don’t consider Yamazaki-sensei’s manga a masterpiece, but it’s very good indeed – there’s a bit of “Potter” mixed with “Natsume” to this story of a young Japanese orphan girl who winds up in the care of a strange and powerful mage. Strange, mystical, alternately sad and surreal – Mahoutsukai no Yome is special, whatever its flaws may be. If this isn’t the finest series of the Fall, I’ll be fairly surprised.
Kekkai Sensen & Beyond – Bones
Director: Takayanagi Shigehito
Writer: Kamo Yasuko
Schedule: Premieres Saturday, 10/07, 27:08
Episodes: 12
First Look: Along with Hoozuki no Reitetsu, this is certainly my most anticipated sequel of the season. Both were in my year-end Top 10 list after their first seasons, and like Hoozuki, Kekkai Sensen has a new director. It also has a new writer, though this time the studio remains the same – and it’s probably the best in the industry right now. So there’s a lot to feel positive about with this continuing adaptation of Nightow Yasuhiro’s manga.
With that said, the circumstances are somewhat cloudier here than with Hoozuki. There’s a delicious irony with this season of Kekkai, too – we have a writer/director team who were ripped by fans for having made changes in adapting another manga, Dagashi Kashi (which is headed to a sequel without either of them), taking over a series where changes to the manga were mostly praised. I’m not so much worried about Takayanagi and Kamo, as I quite liked the changes they made to Dagashi Kashi and loved the show on the whole. But losing Matsumoto Rie is a worry – she’s one of the brightest young stars in anime directing, a genuine auteur, and her limitless imagination and brilliance was all over the first season of Kekkai Sensen. It’s hard to know just what to expect here, but I’ll certainly be rapt with attention when this one kicks off.
Inuyashiki – MAPPA
Director: Satou Keiichi/Yabuta Shuuhei
Writer: Seko Hiroshi
Schedule: Premieres Thursday, 10/12, 24:55
Episodes: TBA
First Look: MAPPA is keeping up a remarkably busy production schedule – so much so that I worry they’re taking on too much. With this adaptation of Oku Hiroya’s Seinen manga they take over the NoitaminA slot, though that currency is so devalued at this stage that it barely registers as a thing. I’m not that crazy for Oku’s tale of a terminally ill and perpetually disrespected 58 year-old who notices strange things happening to him after what seems like a meteor strike, but it is at least a fairly serious story. The staff is pretty solid here, too (Satou is coming off Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul), and though the fact that Inuyashiki is going to be mostly CGI isn’t a point in its favor, it will be kind of interesting to see what MAPPA can do with the technology.
Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season – Studio Deen
Director: Yoneda Kazuhiro
Writer: Gotou Midori
Schedule: Premieres Saturday, 10/07, 25:00
Episodes: 13
First Look: The only thing surprising about Hoozuki no Reitetsu getting a sequel (until Osomatsu-san came along it may have been the most surprising blockbuster hit of the 10’s) is how long it took to happen. Maybe Wit was just too busy, but the series ended up jumping studios anyway, so it’s hard not to wonder why this didn’t happen two years ago.
Delayed or no, it’s great to have Hoozuki back – it was one of the most literate and visually beautiful anime comedies ever. The visuals may take step back with Deen (or they may not – just look at Rakugo) but I’m not at all worried about Yoneda stepping in as director. He’s rock-solid, as his recent work on Akatsuki no Yona and Kabukibu! demonstrates. There’s no reason not to expect another stellar season in Hell.
Osomatsu-san 2 – Studio Pierrot
Director: Fujita Yoichi
Writer: Matsubara Shuu
Schedule: Premieres Monday, 10/02, 25:00
Episodes: TBA
First Look: Speaking of Osamatsu-san… This sequel was inevitable as it gets – last I heard the first season is the #6 best-selling anime of all-time on disc on a per-volume basis. I wasn’t even sure it was going to be streamed when it was first announced, and look at it now. Perhaps even more stunning is the show’s overseas popularity – Miyu Irino seemed totally baffled that so many guests at Anime Expo were fans.
The team is fully re-assembled for the second season, and it’s probably reasonable to hope it might be nearly as good as the first. Shows that thrive on outright lunacy can be tricky to maintain, though – there’s going to be a lot of pressure on Fujita and Matsubara-sensei to keep topping themselves. I think a big key will be giving the supporting cast a lot of love – it’s a hilarious group that was if anything underserved in the first season.
Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau – J.C. Staff
Director: Ishiguro Kyohei
Writer: Yokote Michiko
Schedule: Premieres Sunday, 10/08, 23:00
Episodes: 12
First Look: There’s a fair amount that interests me about this adaptation of Umeda Abi’s manga. It’s the story of a group of children who live on an island floating in a giant sea of sand. They have some sort of special power which causes them to die young, and have never met another human who wasn’t part of their culture. The hero is the archivist of the group. All in all it’s a very interesting concept, and in fact the manga’s been nominated for the 2017 Tezuka Cultural Prize.
That being said, the consensus among those I know who’ve actually read the manga is that it’s good rather than great. That’s how I would describe the staff too, pretty much – I don’t hold Shigatsu against Ishiguro (the direction wasn’t the problem there) but his resume is that of a solid craftsman rather than an artist. Going in cold turkey I have pretty high expectations, but my sense is that Tales of the Whales Calves probably doesn’t quite have the raw materials to be a classic.
Shiyan Pin Jiating: Frankenstein Family – Studio TBA
Director: TBA
Writer: TBA
Schedule: Premieres October 2017, Time TBA
Episodes: TBA
(EDIT: This seems to have been pushed back to Spring 2018) First Look: If it seems like there’s a lack of concrete information in that listing, you’re right. In fact I’m not even sure this is going to air, since we don’t even know a studio yet – but Frankenstein Family was announced as an October series, so I’m including it just for the heck of it. And it’s a complete flyer for me, too – this series is an adaptation of a Taiwanese manhua and I know absolutely nothing about it except that it’s about a family full of children who’ve apparently had genetic experiments performed on them by their parents, leaving only the youngest son as a normal human. I like the art, plain and simple – sometimes the look of a series gives me a sleeper feeling for no concrete reason I can point to, and this is one of those cases.
Will Definitely Blog: UQ Holder, Shoukegeki no Souma: San no Sara, Mahoutsukai no Yome, Kekkai Sensen and Beyond, Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season, Osomatsu-san 2. Five is actually a pretty big number in this category, though it’s a sequel-heavy schedule for sure.
Sleeper Candidates: Houseki no Kuni, Kujira no Kora wa Sajou ni Utau, Shiyan Pin Jiating: Frankenstein Family
OVA/Movie: Lean. Very, very lean.
Natsume Yuujinchou Roku OVA – 10/25/17: The first of two “Roku” OVAs will be the sequel to the earlier “Itsuka Yuki no Hi” OVA, which while anime-original is easily the best of all the Natsume Yuujinchou specials to date.
Hizukuri (ONA) – 11/2017: This one-off net animation about a boy on a journey to get his dead father’s scissors repaired looks mildly interesting, though I wouldn’t like to bet it’ll ever be subbed.
Theatrical: Slim Pickings for a second season in a row.
Yowamushi Pedal: Re:GENERATION – 10/13/2017: Another Yowapeda compilation movie (with some added scenes, of course) to tide us over until the arrival of the fourth season sometime in 2018. Trailer:
Haikara-san ga Tooru Movie 1: Benio, Hana no 17-sai – 11/11/2017: Furuhasi Kazuhiro directs this updating of the 70’s TV anime about a tomboy who challenges traditional Japanese gender stereotypes. I don’t know the original very well, but it’s interesting how little things have changed in Japan in the last 40 years where this theme is concerned. Trailer:
Godzilla: Kaijuu Wakusei – 11/17/17: Admittedly I was hoping anime’s first attempt to take on the Godzilla mythology would be a TV series, but I’ll still be fascinated to see what Polygon and Netflix do with it. The usual Polygon creative staff has been assembled and I think by now we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from them, so I’d be surprised if this 2-film series doesn’t turn out to be solidly competent. Godzilla:
Jack Spicer
September 14, 2017 at 7:14 pmSo I guess Rise of the Shield Hero is not starting in the fall then? Sigh.
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2017 at 7:18 pmI don’t think there’s been any date announced on that one.
hgfdsahjkl
September 14, 2017 at 7:28 pmstudio pierrot isnt a low cost studio,actually pierrot is the studio that brought a lot of the TV sakuga feast episodes more than any other studio,I’d say their usual quality is about average
anyway they brought Tatsuya YOSHIHARA to direct,he is a very talented animator same as yamasita who is animation director for boruto,so I’d say tatsuya will bring some of his sakuga friends on this show,the pv is pretty good too so I’m hopeful for good things
but I agree,the opinions on the manga are mostly negative but as I remember I read the first 20 chapters and they were pretty Entertaining for me
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2017 at 8:07 pmActually, Pierrot has become quite legendary for winning a lot of production deals by underbidding other studios. I freely admit to loving a lot of their work, and not all of it is low-budget – but in recent years that’s been their bread and butter.
steelbound
September 15, 2017 at 1:31 amStudio Pierrot can do very good work but the amount of shows they do dilutes their overall quality. A typical episode of Studio Pierrot, one they haven’t prioritized, normally falls in the barely passable to below average range. Even shows that I would think they’d do good work for are often lackluster. Studio Pierrot’s episodes from season 2 of The Legend of Korra, for example, were noticeably inferior to the work done by Studio Mir.
Yuuki
September 14, 2017 at 8:22 pmWait was UQ Holder confirmed to be two cours? Cause I immedietly assumed its gonna be a trainwreck if they’re gonna adapt to the point in the key visual in 12 episodes but if its true that its two cours then this could end up being a half decent adaptation. Atleast compared to the previous Negima adaptations.
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2017 at 8:53 pmHmm – I thought I’d seen that confirmed but now I can’t find it.
sonicsenryaku
September 14, 2017 at 9:07 pmThe thing about the whole netflix drama is that their influence IS having a positive affect on animators and writers who want to create content not tied to producers trying to milk the otaku market; there’s just not enough coverage on those animators and content creators who see the lucrative side to Netflix helping to produce anime. I forgot who it was, but an animator came out and talked about how beneficial it was to make original anime through netflix and the laxness that came with having them fund their projects. According to him, netflix supplies animation productions with funding that is 5 to even 10 times that of the average anime tv budget. Netflix tells these creators they are free to do whatever they want so as long as they make netflix money. Gone are the days of being overworked or understaffed; animators can take much more time to complete their work and have more staff on deck, resulting in an entire series being complete before airing . Take for example Masaaki Yuasa’s devilman crybaby: production whispers indicate that project will most likely have almost all to its entirety of episodes finished before it airs in 2018. We can even see this happening with Bones’ A.I.C.O, another series that was looking damn fine when it was announced in August. That series is slated to be released in spring 2018 and it’s possible that the first two or 3 eps had already completed production (maybe even more) by the time the trailer dropped. With netflix funding, anime projects can take their time to be produced. They can start earlier and have a longer production time because there will be enough pay coming in to allow for longer production schedules. A big part of why anime on average are on a “last minute schedule” is because it cuts down costs; it’s cheaper to make productions this way (of course it comes at the cost of overworking the staff, which is a bummer). What netflix’s influence in anime could possibly mean (and it’s showing signs of this) is healthier productions; anime’s with more consistent production quality and series’ that get finished when they are supposed to.
The issue with Netflix is that for some reason they want to shoot themselves in the foot; it’s one step forward one step back. Like, if you want your anime to make money (including some of the more niche anime premises/narratives), allow your platform to reach to as much people as possible as well as allow them access to the anime in a timely fashion. They are doing this possibly wonderful thing for the anime industry and yet at the same time they are making decisions that makes one scratch their head. Certain countries dont get anime available to them on their netflix account. Then there’s the issue with netflix taking anime they license for months on end. I get that they want to release their anime with english dubs and worldwide subs (and to continue promoting their binge-watching mentality) but that doesnt always work for people. For the anime they license, netflix should simulcast the japanese dub (like they do in japan) worldwide with subs (they need to make sure they subs are accurate too as well as easy to read) that accommodate for whatever country the anime is being streamed in. If im not mistaken (someone correct me if im wrong), Daisuki was able to stream anime subbed under different languages on the day the anime was supposed to air. Im sure if netflix prioritized hiring competent people who could transcribe subs in all kinds of language, anime would have a much more global reach, which was one of the factors the animator i mentioned earlier praised the netflix platform for being able to do. Gone are the days were anime was only centralized in one area; with netflix’s reach, it could go global. Netflix needs to capitalize on that and really start putting its focus on expanding the reach of it’s anime services past subscribers in north america (and other countries that already have access to anime through netflix).
Secondly, with all the original anime series that netflix is investing in, if they are so keen on keeping their binge-watching mentality for anime, fine; but they should do it only for the original anime that had a large hand in producing; leave the licensed anime alone; again, simulcast that shit subbed in different languages; You’re fucking netflix for crying out loud. Another thing the animator was reported saying (im going to try to look for the source) was that the seasonal anime format may not be completely necessary with netflix’s involvement. Instead of waiting to watch an anime during a specific season and watching it weekly, you can have a whole anime series release at any point in time with all its episodes already available. I like this idea for those series that are produced by netflix. Release them whole, have an accompanying english dub (like they did with BLAME!), and have the anime subbed in multiple languages as they did with castlevania; my god would the profits flood in. Netflix has it’s heart in the right place and it probably has a really good chance in making anime a lucrative medium for its creators, but REEEEALLLLY needs to iron out the kinks to its business model concerning distribution of anime and i think these are some of ways to do it. Like Enzo said, there is a shift happening with anime and netflix could be a positive one if it gets its shit into gear. While it seems some creators are benefiting from netflix’s help, netflix could still be doing so much more.
hgfdsahjkl
September 14, 2017 at 9:11 pmis Madhouse saving it all for onepunch man,I think they made only one anime this year
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2017 at 9:34 pmIndeed, it’s worrisome. Really, they haven’t done that much in the last two years.
steelbound
September 15, 2017 at 1:47 amI remember reading somewhere – maybe on the Sakuga Blog or on one of their twitter accounts – that most of the producers at Madhouse have left in the last couple of years and without producers with connections, Madhouse can’t make any deals to get anime to produce. I know much of the staff at Madhouse that worked on Hunter x Hunter moved on and started Studio Voln which did Ushio to Tora.
Guardian Enzo
September 15, 2017 at 7:25 amAnd MAPPA. No question between MAPPA and M3 especially a lot of Madhouse talent, including producers, has moved to other places. I don’t know that was Maruyama’s intent because as far as I know he remained on good terms with Madhouse, but it’s the reality of the situation.
sonicsenryaku
September 14, 2017 at 10:02 pmoh, and i forgot to mention that Rie Matsumoto’s absence on the kekkai sensen sequel might be because she’s busy on a bigger project. There are some quiet rumors that her directorial efforts are being spent on an original anime film. No info as to when it will release
Guardian Enzo
September 14, 2017 at 10:04 pmYeah, I know – heard those rumors too. But whatever the reason, I do think she’ll be missed. Her vision was a big part of the first season’s identity.
sonicsenryaku
September 14, 2017 at 10:16 pmyea i know; Rie’s directorial prowess has left quite the impression on me
Jindujun93
September 14, 2017 at 10:40 pmThis season looks to be a bit better for me than the last, with six titles I’m probably going to watch, not including Guru Guru as the carry-over – while this season I only had 5 in total, the carry-overs (Bahamut and Hero Academia) included. What I’m probably looking forward to the most are the second season of Kekkai Sensen (as I’m a huge fan of Nightow’s stuff) and the new Kino anime (seeing how it’s definitely going to adapt new material – the key visual shows off somebody who didn’t appear in the original anime at all), though I’m going to be interested in just how much of Kino’s material will be new and how much will have already been covered by the original one from over a decade ago. But I like the light novel a lot, so I’m not too worried about it, even if the studio doesn’t have me confident just yet. Other than that, mostly sequels, with Mahoutsukai standing out as the only non-sequel/non-reboot. Sure, I have seen even better seasons already, but considering how much of a wasteland the last few ones have been, I’ll take what I can get.
Mr Eggscelent
September 15, 2017 at 1:07 amLooks like japan is starting to look towards korea for some new inspiration.Some of them are pretty cliche but i found the webcomic kubera to be excellent(after 10 chapters).Maybe you should cover some older anime.
elianthos
September 15, 2017 at 7:37 am108 Hells to the yes! – Make the Netherworld bloody fun again – and Magus Bride are my two darlings unless some production catastrophe happen.
We’ll see about Osomatsu II and Kekkai Sensen s2 but fingers crossed. I’m actually sort of curious to see how the latter is going to fare without Rie’s frantic/manic energy… she was a great fit for the material and visuals do tend to be spectacularly Extra under her command – if occasionally crossing into exhausting/overwhelmingly busy for me -.
On the movies and OVA side… I welcome more Natsume but I’m intensely despising Haikaras-an’s chara design update. Looks so graceless and ugly. Way to butcher Yamato Waki’s lovely old school shoujo art. The first anime adaptation used to be a childhood darling for Italian audiences about 40 years ago btw 😛 . I don’t have a strong attachment to it and my memories are very fuzzy but the manga story is a rather entertaining one hence I hope the movie script if anything can still deliver.
Fall 2017 rules
September 15, 2017 at 1:38 pmI think the coming season looks pretty great.
Kurik
September 16, 2017 at 1:24 amThanks for the heads up Enzo. What I am hankering for is some adult targeted anime. Do those exist anymore? Things like Monster or Black Lagoon or Gangsta, etc…Sigh. From the listing my interests are as follows:
Shokugeki no Souma – While not great its a fun watch and I love food so….
Mahoutsukai no Yome – saw the title art of this and knew without a doubt i will be checking it out.
Kekkai Sensen & Beyond – Loved the first series…second confused me somewhat but enjoyable…This season I am curious where the story goes…
Inuyashiki – Hmm….not sure about this one yet but will give it a few episodes.
Hoozuki no Reitetsu – haven’t heard about this so will watch the first season and see…
Otherwise….relatively underwhelming Fall as you indicated. Oh well….
Guardian Enzo
September 16, 2017 at 9:09 amThat’s why something like Inuyashiki is on the radar even thought I find the manga frankly pretty mediocre – it’s adult-targeted anime. A show still has to be competent, but those are so rare these days that I give them a hell of a lot of rope.
donhumberto
September 16, 2017 at 2:52 pmYou might wanna check out Garo: Vanishing Line. The trailer looks really good and it has some Black Lagoon/Gansta vibes
Guardian Enzo
September 16, 2017 at 3:25 pmNot a Garo fan. I’m afraid.
Matti
September 16, 2017 at 9:16 amWas mildly excited when I saw Godzilla listed, but then dug about and noticed that Urobochi Gen was doing the writing, and my interest waned completely. Here’s my ending prediction: Everyone dies. Moral/message of the story will be “shit happens, deal with it”, like always.
Among the rest, I’ll probably only give the new Kino a chance. Loved the original, but I was younger and less jaded back then, and the anime industry as a whole wasn’t the shitshow it is today, so I can’t say I’m all that optimistic. Seems a bit insulting comparing it to DRRR though, which was mediocre from the start an never even qualified to lick Baccano’s toes.
Dropped the first Kekkai Sessen after the second episode, and nothing about the preview tells me the second season will be any less child-oriented. Actually, everything listed seems to be targeted at children anyway, except Houzuki Reitetsu (another anime people seem to like but I merely find passable) which seems to be targeted at women.
Meh, just wake me up when George Miller decides collaborate with Shinichiro Watanabe to make an anime.
kanda92
September 16, 2017 at 2:24 pmBtw Enzo, Kuroshitsuji Book of Atlantis is out subbed :D, are you going to review it?
Guardian Enzo
September 16, 2017 at 2:39 pmUwah, I missed that. Yes I will, as soon as I find some time.
@ki
September 17, 2017 at 12:48 pmNo mention of the new season of Gintama?
Guardian Enzo
September 17, 2017 at 8:43 pmI’ve never included any season of Gintana in any preview, don’t know why I would start now. Perfectly fine, just not my thing.
royman
September 18, 2017 at 1:03 pmRestaurant to Another World is now over, truly one of the best from this season
Bokusenou
September 18, 2017 at 4:25 pmThanks for the detailed preview!
Darn, I loved the original Kino no Tabi anime & novels, but the lack of quality with the studio and staff on the new adaptation seems really worrying… Oh well, there’s always Hoozuki if the new Kino anime turns out to be disappointing…
zeroyuki92
September 19, 2017 at 8:29 amJust want to add that Sangatsu no Lion 2nd season is also in this season. I get that Enzo is totally against Shaft’s take on it, but for those who like/can tolerate Shinbou it is actually a very faithful adaptation that saw plenty of positive reactions both on internet and TV rating.
While I have my eyebrow raised on some occasions (mostly on the first half of first season, I think they slowly toned down the shaft-ness a lot in the second season), I actually adore the adaptation. Totally will watch the sequel.
Few other notable things that Enzo didn’t mention:
– Dies Irae
Was considered as one of Kamige of VN, although this one is basically a very chuuni story. From what I’ve heard, this is basically a Fate Series but with Nazis and philosophical shenanigans instead of legendary heroes and cooking scenes.
– Shoujo Shuumatsu Ryokou.
Not sure why Enzo skipped this, but apocalyptic slice of life made by White Fox? I think it worth at least a sneak peek. Those who read the manga seems to agree that it was not amazing, but it’s overall a good/great read and has a strength of its own.
Dein
September 21, 2017 at 3:34 pmEvery time I read one of your previews, i think to myself – “surely Enzo is exaggerating”, but nope, this is one hell of a dull season… I’ll give some shows a look, if only for the motorcycle element of it all, but most of this stuff doesn’t look very interesting.
And hey, didn’t think you were watching Gamers! I gave it a go very late into the season expecting nothing but that show really surprised me. It’s genuinely funny and not at all like what I expected.
Guardian Enzo
September 21, 2017 at 4:06 pmYeah, Gamers has been a lot of fun. A couple developments in the last few eps have annoyed me, but on the whole it’s a pleasant surprise (though less surprising given it’s the author of Seitokai no Ichizon).
Keita x Aguri 4eva
Guile
September 23, 2017 at 10:33 pmNo love for Gintama? This season should be moving into more action and less episodic comedy as it gears up for what seems like a final arc, but Gintama has been a must-watch for most of my anime life.
Iora
October 7, 2017 at 11:08 amHello Enzo,
First of all, thanks for the preview, I’m looking forward to read it in beginning of the each season so that it became like a tradition for me. 🙂 It’s same for your first impression posts too. But I realize after reading the preview that you didn’t include Juuni Taisen, also did not blog it. I wonder why? It is definetely not the best show in the season but I think it has good points.
Guardian Enzo
October 7, 2017 at 11:26 amHi, I’m Guardian Enzo. Have we met? ;-P
In all seriousness, thank you. But as for JT, any Nisio Isin dialogue for me is like red-hot barbecue skewers being inserted into my eardrums. I’ve addressed it in the past and no need to delve into it again – it’s just not my cup of tea.