Back in 2008, I started a little experiment: what if I were to avoid all kinds of promotional material before the start of a season. Would that be better for my expectations of each individual season? The answer to that is: No. Sure, I got no expectations of the majority of the anime that aired, but in the end I just could not avoid the titles of each new series, so I found myself creating expectations and stereotypes, based on these titles anyway. Especially for the more hyped series, it was just impossible to avoid information about them. And overall, I didn’t really end up enjoying these anime I had no expectations about better than if I would have prepared myself and wrote a preview like I usually did.
So here you go: you can expect a seasonal preview out of me again, about a month and a half before the start of each season, depending on how much time I have. I’ll update this post as soon as more information or series get announced. But first, here are a bunch of statistics:
In total, according to Moonphase, 31 television anime are about to air, 26 of which are not kiddie shows. There are 2 superhero series, 3 sports series, 9 are based on historical sources in one way or another. 12 shows were very obviously moe at first sight, while 7 were at first sight very obviously trying to reel in viewers with hot guys. Mecha and horror are nearly completely absent. At first glance (with some shows I had to guess in this), the age distribution shows 7 shows that focus on pre-highschool characters (subtracting the five kiddie shows, that just means two), 14 shows of high school characters, 9 anime about adults, plus Hetalia, of which I have no idea how old these characters are supposed to be.
There’s a huge amount of sequels: 10 of them, that’s one third of all shows airing. The busiest anime studios are A-1 Pictures and Studio Deen with both three series. Production IG, Bones and Sunrise are surprisingly absent with only one minor entry each, and Gonzo seems to have disappeared completely.
For a spring season, there isn’t a lot of series. However, there are a number of great sounding series and there are also quite a few series that either have a bad premise and a good staff, or a good premise and a bad staff, which really can go anywhere. All that’s left is to hope that as many as possible will get a 24 episode schedule allocated.
Mayoi Neko Overrun
Summary: The story revolves around Takumi Tsuzuki, a boy who lives with his older “sister” Otome, although the two have no blood ties between them. Otome manages a run-down confectionery store called Stray Cats. One day, Otome picks up a mysterious beautiful girl off the streets. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Um, the original creator, Tomohiro Matsu, will be working on the series composition so it’ll be faithful to its manga.
Why you should not look forward to it: Oh god. I’m amazed at how many overused stereotypes you can show, just with one picture. I’ll be frank here: the premise for this show sounds abysmal. A guy picking up a catgirl… it’s just another pointless variation of the umpth bishoujo series. And he lives together with his older sister who isn’t related by blood? Oh please. Stop trying to be subtle when hundreds of other series have already done that before.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Kiss Sis
Summary: Keita has two older step-sisters, Ako and Riko, but since they aren’t related by blood, they love him in a lustful way. After a mishap at school, Ako and Riko finally confess their love to him. Keita dislikes the thought of seeing them other then brother and sister, but as he tries to enter the same school as his sisters, he slowly becomes attracted to them. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: If you’re looking for porn then this show has a lot to offer.
Why you should not look forward to it: Oh, where to start? Shallow premise, just an excuse for porn, Munenori Nawa, the director has made more of these cheap shounen romances,and the same goes even more for the person behind the series composition, Katsumi Hasegawa.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Bakugan Battle Brawlers – New Vestroya
Summary: Drago returns to Earth with a new ally named Mira. The five original Bakugan that helped restore order to New Vestroia have been captured, Drago is now being targeted, and a group of humans known as the Vexos are taking over New Vestroia. With the help of Dan and the Battle Brawlers though, Drago believes he will have enough power to not only free New Vestroia but his friends as well. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: If you like mindless and stupid action, I guess.
Why you should not look forward to it: It’s just another toy commercial, going into its third season. A few years ago I caught its first episode, and nothing really set it apart from other silly shounen series.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Ikkitousen Xtreme Xecutor
Summary: It is Hakufu’s ambition to fight against new opponents from all over the world. To pay for the travelling expenses — to be able to visit these tournaments — she got a job, to earn enough money to make her dream come true. Little did Hakufu expect that new allies and enemies would detract from her goal. Or that she might even be considered a weak leader in the eyes of her companions. To top it off a sister suddenly appears, making it painfully obvious to Hakufu that she does not really know much about her mother’s past. - (Taken from AniDB)
Why you should look forward to it: Um… boobs? Some staff changes?
Why you should not look forward to it: Seriously… did this thing really need this many sequels? I can guess that porn with shallow action and silly humour can be entertaining enough for one season, but after this we’re at 50 episodes of the same mindless fluff. Also, what kind of idiot found it a good idea to air this show at ten o’clock? IN THE MORNING?!
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Shin Koihime†Musou: Otome Tairan
Summary: The anime adaptations re-imagine the characters from the Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as “moe (fiery), moe (preciously cute) action love comedy” with an almost all-female cast. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: I’m blank on this one.
Why you should not look forward to it: Just… why. Let’s do a little math: both Koihime and Ikkitousen attempt to parody the Romance of the Three Kingdoms franchise by making all of its characters female. Ikkitousen is in its fourth season, Koihime with its third. That means 50 episodes for Ikkitousen, and about 38 episodes for Koihime Musou, adding up to a whopping 88 episodes of cheesy Romance of the Three Kingdoms parodies. Why the heck so many?! What did these series deserve to get so many airtime, while most other series should be even lucky to get themselves 24 episodes?
First-Glance Potential: 0%
SD Gundam Sangokuden Brave Battle Warriors
Summary: The SD Gundam Sangokuden model series features the heroes of the Chinese literary classic Romance of the Three Kingdoms — only they have been re-imagined as two-head-high Super Deformed Gundam robots. Liu Bei (Ryū Bi) Gundam, Guan Yu (Kan U) Gundam, and Zhang Fei (Chō Hi) Gundam protect the legendary continent Mirisha from General Dong Zhuo (Tō Taku) Zaku, the assassin Hu Zhen (Ko Shin) Gyan, and other enemies. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Are there seriously people interested in this?
Why you should not look forward to it: Why? Why WHY? Seriously, WTF is going on with anime when we have THREE ROMANCE OF THE THREE KINGDOMS PARODIES IN ONE SEASON!? Seriously, was there honestly no other literary work that you can parody? Does every Japanese kid get the RotTK novels forced down his throat and nothing else or something? Do they really have to parody that crap over and over and over again? Seriously: WHY!?
First-Glance Potential: 0%
K-On Second Season
Summary: It’s Yui Hirasawa’s first year in high school, and she’s eagerly searching for a club to join. At the same time, Ritsu Tainaka, a drummer, and her friend Mio Akiyama, a bassist, are desperately trying to save the school’s light music club, which is about to be disbanded due to lack of members. They manage to recruit Tsumugi Kotobuki to play the keyboard, meaning they only need one more member to get the club running again. Yui joins, thinking it will be an easy experience for her to play the castanets, the only instrument she knows. However, the other members think their new addition is actually a guitar prodigy… - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: If you like moe, moe, moe and even more moe, then there’s a good chance that you’ll like this.
Why you should not look forward to it: If you do not, however, then you should stay away from it. It’s like yaoi: meant for only a select audience while others are bound to hate it, but that fan-base can be very passionate about it. Obviously I am not part of that target audience.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Hanakappa
Summary: The manga follows Hana Kappa, a kappa (mystical Japanese river creature) who happens to have a flower (hana) growing out of his head. Hana Kappa-kun lives with his father, mother, grandfather, and grandmother in a verdant village known as Yamabiko. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: It’s a pink kappa with a flower on its head.
Why you should not look forward to it: Joking aside, this pretty much is another one of those kiddie shows. I can’t find anything about the cast or staff, but I really doubt that it’s going to be interesting for anyone above seven years old.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Hime Chen! Otogi Chikku Idol Lilpri
Summary: The story centers on Ringo Yukimori, Reira Takashiro, and Natsuki Sasahara — three elementary school girls who can change into idol princesses. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: I have no idea because I have no idea who the staff is going to be.
Why you should not look forward to it: Toy commercial! I really doubt at this point that Sega got someone actually competent to direct this thing. Also, what’s up with that damn long title? How do you expect kids to remember that?
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Arakawa Under the Bridge
Summary: Gag manga about a young “elite” man who has a policy of not being in debt to anyone. But he ends up owing his life to a strange girl who saves his life. Rino, the girl, believes she’s a Martian & lives under the bridge by the Arakawa river. So the young man ends up living there too. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: The premise sounds like an interesting romantic comedy provided that the creators can give enough characterization to the lead characters to prevent them from being more than just these stereotypes that we see in the description.
Why you should not look forward to it: Blegh, Shinbo.
First-Glance Potential: 0%
Jewel Pet Second Season
Summary: In the magical place called Jewel Land, the magicians turned the Jewelpets into Jewels so they can travel to the magic forest but with the exception of Ruby, a white rabbit who likes to goof off. But then a strong wind blew the stork and the jewels were spilled, scattering them across Takaragaseki City on Earth. Ruby, now being punished, is sent to Earth to retrieve her friends. On Earth, a student named Rinko is on her balcony observing the night sky and saw a group of shooting stars and one of them falls into her water glass to become a red jewel. The next day she and her friend Minami was saved by a guy named Tatewaki from a jewelry store robbery. He then explained to them that he’s working from a special organization which is linked to the magicians of Jewel Land and told them about the Jewelpets. As Rinko awakened Ruby, and then met Alice later on, It’s now their task to gather all the Jewelpets together back to Jewel Land before an evil Jewelpet named Diana gets them first. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: For a kids’ show, it was slightly above average. Clean fun if you’re in the mood for something really, really brainless.
Why you should not look forward to it: But yeah, I only lasted through three episodes of the first season. At that point it already got repetitive, there was hardly any creativity and none of the characters got even the slightest hint of a bit of depth.
First-Glance Potential: 10%
Major 6th Season
Summary: Goro’s dream is to become a professional baseball player like his father. As he strives through the path towards the pro league, from infancy to adulthood, his passion for the game galvanizes all of those around him. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: I can only imagine that at this point, Goro must have gotten a ton of character-development.
Why you should not look forward to it: I didn’t like Major though. I watched through the first season, and while lead characters in sports series are bound to be very good, it took it way over the top by requiring Goro to join a team of incredibly incompetent beginners, just to make sure that he wouldn’t god-mode all over the Little League. And that was with an actual competent director in the lead: Kenichi Kasai. The sixth season is directed by Toshinori Fukushima. The only experience that this guy has in directing a full blown anime is a Beyblade Movie. At this point, I really don’t feel like catching up to 100 episodes to get Goro’s character-development.
First-Glance Potential: 20%
Yutori-Chan
Summary: The story centers around Yutori-chan, a high school girl assigned to a part-time job in the marketing team of a medium-sized toy company called Popū. There, she deal with the generation gaps that separate her from Tsumekomi-chan (another part-time worker and a student at Japanese’s most prestigious university, “T Dai”) and Daikai-san (the regular employee who oversees Yutori-chan). - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Miya Asakawa is writing the script. She also wrote the script of gems such as Noein, Turn A Gundam, Geneshaft and Overman King Gainer.
Why you should not look forward to it: BIGLOBE has come up with a brilliant marketing strategy to distribute this Original Net Animation: it will be the first anime to be broadcast through e-mail. How? By sending a link that contains the URL to each episode. I wonder who it was who actually sat down and thought: “Yeah. That’s a good idea.” On top of that, the director is Keiichiro Kawaguchi. The guy from Moetan.
First-Glance Potential: 30%
Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou
Summary: In a world where magic is something supernatural, Akuto Sai is a boy, perfect in all, who wants to enter the order of the most famous magicians of the country and wants and help society. It is once admitted to the academy of Constantin Magic and passes a fitness test that predicts its future activities: The Demon King (Dai Mao) while there are over 100 years, a great war was ravaging between humans and the Demon King… - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: The director, Takeshi Watanabe, is very experienced and has directed two series that I’m a big fan of (Starship Operators and Boogiepop Phantom)…
Why you should not look forward to it: …but but he also directed the generic adventure shows as Shakugan no Shana, Slayers Revolution, Ikkitousen and Lost Universe, which is exactly what I feel that Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou is going to be, with its cheesy premise and generic harem set-up. The guy behind the series composition, Takao Yoshioka, has worked on some great series, but also did plenty of generic moe series, so I don’t have a lot of faith for this one.
First-Glance Potential: 30%
Heroman
Summary: The story will centre on a boy named Joey who discovers a toy robot near the west coast of the United States. Then, the toy becomes Hero Man, a giant robot that Joey pilots against evil threats. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Bones and one of its most experienced animation directors: Toshihiro Kawamoto. So yeah, Stan Lee, one of the creators of Spider man and the X-Men asked Bones to create Heroman for them. Now, I actually have nothing against the X-Men. It’s one of the very few American cartoons that I watched as a kid that I can still respect today, as it had strong themes that had to do with outcasts and acceptance.
Why you should not look forward to it: But seriously, a toy robot? What do you intend this to be, a commercial or something? I can’t say anything about the director, Hitoshi Nanba, because I’ve not seen any of the series he directed aside from a few random episodes.
First-Glance Potential: 40%
B Gata H Kei
Summary: In the story, Yukari Tamura will play the heroine Yamada, a virgin high school student who dreams of having 100 casual sex partners. However, she ends up targeting and pursuing only one boy. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Sure, the premise sounds awful, but look at the direction and series composition, done by Yusuke Yamamoto and Satoru Nishizono respectively: it’s the same staff as NHK ni Youkoso, which also started out this questionable. Seriously, these guys have a ton of experience on great series, and really relatively few cheap romantic comedies. That alone has me intrigued.
Why you should not look forward to it: Good staff or no good staff, it remains near-porn based on a 4-koma, which doesn’t promise much.
First-Glance Potential: 40%
Ring ni Kakero 1: Shadow
Summary: After defeating Black Shaft’s makeshift Team America, the Golden Japan Jr. team returns to training for the World Tournament that will be held in Tokyo. But during training the Shadow Clan, which uses boxing as an assassination technique, kidnaps Kiku in order to lure Ryuji and the others into a fight to see who’s truly the better representatives of Japan’s junior boxers. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Yousuke Kuroda, the guy behind the series composition. He has worked on so many different series, among which Honey and Clover, Infinite Ryvius, Phantom and Risky Safety are only a small selection. Toei also has gotten its best background artist on this job: Takashi Kurahashi, who also did the backgrounds for Bake Neko, Mononoke, the Air movie and Hakaba Kitarou.
Why you should not look forward to it: That premise! As if they couldn’t make a shounen boxing series even more generic with these random assassin boxer bad guys. Also, check the director: Toshiaki Komura, the guy responsible for the god-awful Kinnikuman Nisei and the first number of Pretty Cure series. Thankfully that’s a franchise he left now, but it turns out that Toei shifted him to this franchise instead.
First-Glance Potential: 40%
Hakuouki
Summary: The story centres around a female protagonist and the historical Shinsengumi samurai group in Kyoto during the 19th century. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Remember Toward the Terra? Well, it shares its director with Hakuouki: Osamu Yamasaki. He also directed a bunch of Mushishi-episodes.
Why you should not look forward to it: Studio DEEN, what the heck do you think you’re doing? You used to be a studio for creative and original premises, but for the past years you’ve been way too heavy on the bishies. And that’s the thing with this series: the director has shown that he can make an awesome series, but on a dating game about bishies? Last Autumn, Kenichi Kasai showed that even the best directors can trip over them and produce crap. It’s all going to depend on how much of the project he will write himself (which thankfully is necessary in a game adaptation), because I’ve been in the mood for another show about the Shinsengumi.
First-Glance Potential: 50%
Giant Killing
Summary: In Giants Killing a ragtag bunch from East Tokyo are struggling in Japan’s top football league. The team is going through an abysmal spell right now where they are nearing the bottom of the table and have lost 5 matches in a row. The losses haven’t done much to team moral, because it was already low. Fan support, on the other hand, is looking bleak. In the world of football, once the fans turn on a team the end is near. Teams don’t recover. Coaches are fired, players are sold, and teams drop to smaller divisions where profits often prevent them from ever being successful against even mediocre top division programs. East Tokyo United, ETU, can only blame their coach right now. And Coach is ready to give up this next game to prove to his team and fans, that against the biggest club in the nation he can make this team win. - (Taken from AniDB)
Why you should look forward to it: Toshifumi Kawase behind the series composition. Very experienced, and this will allow the series to have a solid structure.
Why you should not look forward to it: But really, he should have been the director here: that’s where he’s at his best and directed gems such as Shion no Ou and Higurashi Rei. Instead, we’re stuck with Yuu Kou, infamous for ruining Zero no Tsukaima, and also behind flops as Robby and Kerobby and Monochrome Factor.
First-Glance Potential: 50%
Kaichou wa Maid Sama
Summary: The romantic comedy centres on the student council head named Misaki Ayuzawa who despises the mostly male, slovenly population at her school, which was once an all-boys school. However, Misaki’s most handsome schoolmate just discovered her secret — that she works after school at a maid café. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: A very strong staff: Hiroaki Sakurai, who also directed Les Miserables, Cromertie High School, Kodocha and GA will be the director, and I’ve become a real fan of this guy’s strong characterization and fresh sense of humour. The woman behind the series composition, Mamiko Ikeda is also very experienced and wrote series such as Victorian Romance Emma, Fruits Basket, Bokura ga Ita and Tsukikage Ran.
Why you should not look forward to it: But yeah, it’s another one of those otaku premises. I never understood the appeal of these maid outfits, nor why SO MANY SERIES NEED TO HAVE THEM. It’s a very weak premise, and a strong staff, so this is one of those series that can go anywhere.
First-Glance Potential: 50%
Hetalia Axis Powers Third Season
Summary: Italy, once home of the strongest empire in the world, has changed. This is the story of Italy, now a cowardly pasta-loving fool, and his friends (other personified countries of the world) as they live through strange moments in world history. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: The first two seasons, while not the best have been pretty enjoyable comedies with spot-on historical references. It’s good to see this one continued and I’m going to hope to see the return of The Netherlands.
Why you should not look forward to it: With comedy sequels, there always is the matter that most of them just aren’t as good or enjoyable as their prequels. The second season of Hetalia avoided this, but will the third one do so as well?
First-Glance Potential: 60%
Angel Beats
Summary: In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the other hand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers. - (Taken from AniDB)
Why you should look forward to it: PA Works are a relatively new company, but they’ve really set themselves apart as a top-notch animation company with consistently good animation. It’s also Key’s newest project, so it’s interesting to see how a studio that isn’t Kyoani nor Toei adapts it.
Why you should not look forward to it: But oh, the hilarity. Seiji Kishi is one of the rising comedy talents of the past five years. His comedy series have always been witty, bold, un-subtle and over the top. Trying to combine that with Key’s gentle and sad approach is like trying to make an elephant dance ballet. I can’t say that I’m not interested to see that kind of combination, though. :P
First-Glance Potential: 60%
Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru
Summary: Sakurai Yuki is a mysterious boy with a mysterious ability. He was found in the bushes as a baby and adopted by his current family. Because of this, Yuki strives for independence. The last thing he wants is to be a burden to anybody. Furthermore, when he touches others, he can feel their emotions. Unable to control his ability, he often made insensitive blunders in the past. With death threats and his abilities increasing, what will happen when a man claiming to be his older brother appears? - (Taken from Mangaupdates)
Why you should look forward to it: Excellent director: Katsushi Sakurabi’s work on Asatte no Houkou, Rescue Wings and Tsukihime was really good, and the latter showed that he also isn’t afraid to deviate from the original source material. On top of that, Natsuko Takahashi is doing the series composition, and that woman really has a broad, broad experience in all sorts of different scripts.
Why you should not look forward to it: Yeah, this has a lot of potential, provided that the shounen ai elements don’t become too present. And really, I don’t say this because I have something against the genre, but shounen ai series always tend to be so ridiculously cheesy that it becomes hard to enjoy them. However, there have been exceptions. If this show can do something similar to Night Head Genesis, Tactics or Antique Bakery, then we’ve got a potential gem here. If not… then… yeah.
First-Glance Potential: 60%
Shoka
Summary: The action story is set during the turbulent years of the shogunate, as dark forces try to undermine the shogun’s power in Edo-era Tokyo. Shirō Sumiya is the leader of the “Way of the Paper Drawing” clan which captures the chaos of the struggles with rapid brush strokes. Sumiya is summoned to Edo, and his disciples, who have extraordinary powers in their secret drawing techniques, become part of the ensuring battles with giant drawn creatures. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Whoa. The Animax Grand Prix is basically a yearly contest amongst amateur writers, where the winner gets his story animated in a one-shot OVA. Up till now, they were mostly simple and innocent kids’ stories, but this looks like something else! Production IG will animate it, it’s directed by Makoto Yamada, an experienced animator who worked on anime as Mind Game, Detective Story, Beyond, Noiseman Sound Insect and various OPs and EDs, the background artist is Hiromu Itou, who did the background art of Noein and Juu Oh Sei. I’m not sure about the story, but I’m expecting a ton of eye candy from this.
Why you should not look forward to it: The length: it’s a shame that this is just going to be an OVA of 20 minutes. It deserves more.
First-Glance Potential: 70%
Working!!
Summary: The story is set in a family restaurant named Wagnaria in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. Sōta works part-time among the restaurant’s high-spirited, mysterious, yet cool staffers. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Another horeca series, nice. It looks a bit moe, but it’s about adults and Yoshimasa Hiraike, who directed Solty Rei, Sketchbook and Kaleido Star’s second season is bound to make something nice out of it.
Why you should not look forward to it: The animation director Shingo Adachi doesn’t look that experienced. Those looking for action should also look elsewhere.
First-Glance Potential: 70%
Ookiku Furikabutte Second Season
Summary: The series, set in Saitama, follows Ren Mihashi, who had previously excelled as his middle school baseball team’s ace pitcher, due to his grandfather’s connections as its manager. As he graduates to high school, whose baseball team his grandfather does not manage, he initially does not believe he is good enough to succeed at baseball, however, but assisted by his friends, he grows in stature, confidence and skill, helping his team excel with his own ability. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Most baseball series feature a pitcher who is incredibly talented. This one doesn’t. I’m still not sure why I ended up dropping it, but the focus on teamwork made this promise to be a very unique sort of baseball series, and I’m going to try and catch up with it in the next month or so. The director, Tsutomu Mizushima may have had his flops, but those were only shallow comedies. He can produce great results when he has to take care of a serious story (just look at xxxHolic). Yousuke Kuroda is also back with this series, and his experience is bound to help both this series and Ring ni Kakero.
Why you should not look forward to it: At this point, I think that the baseball genre is getting over-saturated a bit. Seriously, how long has it been since a baseball series did not air? They’ve all been very good, but I also think that some limit is necessary.
First-Glance Potential: 80%
Senkou no Night Raid
Summary: The story is set in Shanghai in 1931, when the Imperial Japanese Army has been dispatched to mainland China due to the relatively recent First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. In this cosmopolitan city of intrigue, there is a special military spy organization called “Sakurai Kikan” that has since been buried in history. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Anime No Chikara. This means that this series is not based on any kind of source material, but instead it’s specifically written for the anime format. And on top of that, the spy genre has a lot of potential. A-1 Pictures will make sure for a lot of eye candy. Jun Matsumoto will direct the thing, and he also did Persona - Trinity Soul. While that one could have been better, I’m interested to see what he can do when he’s not bound by a game or other kind of original story, because Persona definitely showed hints of potential. Shinsuke Onishi, who did the series composition for The Third and the script of various Darker than Black episodes also really helps. Also take note of Kazushige Kanehira, who’s going to be behind the art setting. While I have no idea what that entails to, it’s bound to be really good because he also did the same art design for Noein, Birdy the Mighty, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Ayakashi Ayashi.
Why you should not look forward to it: I’m not that big of a fan of the character-designs, who look a bit too shounen-ish. This premise can really go anywhere depending on where you take it, from a standard depth-less spy story to a complex character-study. So let’s hope that the creators can pull this one off.
First-Glance Potential: 80%
Iron Man
Summary: Born Anthony Edward “Tony” Stark, he is an industrialist playboy and genius engineer who suffers a severe heart injury during a kidnapping in which his captors attempt to force him to build a massively destructive weapon. He instead creates a powered suit of armor to save his life and escape captivity. He later decides to use the suit to protect the world as Iron Man. Through his multinational corporation, Stark Industries, Tony created military weapons and his own metal suit is laden with technological devices that enable him to fight crime. Initially, Iron Man was a vehicle for Stan Lee to explore Cold War themes, particularly the role of American technology and business in the fight against communism. Subsequent re-imaginings of Iron Man have gradually removed the Cold War themes, replacing them with more contemporary concerns such as corporate crime and terrorism. - (Taken from Wikipedia)
Why you should look forward to it: What I especially like about this series: Madhouse has gotten complete freedom from Marvel as to how they should interpret this franchise. They can really take it anywhere, and that’s the exciting part, knowing how Madhouse loves trying out new things. There’s hardly anything known about them apart from that, though. No staff, cast or anything.
Why you should not look forward to it: Superheroes often means really powerful people fighting each other. I’m counting on you Madhouse, to insert some more subtle storyline.
First-Glance Potential: 80%
Rainbow
Summary: Around 10 years after World War II, a group of delinquents are sent to the Shounan Special Reform School and must learn to cope with the atrocities and unfairness they encounter there. A student that had already been residing there when the teens arrived acts as a mentor, teaching them about friendship and guiding them through difficulties. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: What a premise! Apart from that, hardly anything is known about this series yet, but a bunch of delinquents in the aftermath of WWII has so much potential. I’m really keeping my eye on this one.
Why you should not look forward to it: But yeah: hardly anything is known about this series. Who knows whether or not the staff is competent in handling it or not.
First-Glance Potential: 90%
Yojou-Han
Summary: The story follows a nameless protagonist who is a third-year college student. The protagonist looks back at the earlier years of his college life and his adventures with a particular circle (club). - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Masaaki Yuasa is back! On top of that, it’s again animated by Madhouse, and aired on the Noitamina Timeslot. What a combo! I’m also very intrigued by Makoto Ueda, who seems to have only worked on live action movies thus far, and I’m intrigued to why this guy of all people was selected to write this series.
Why you should not look forward to it: However, it is a bit of a shame that it’s Noitamina. Why? Because that means that this series is only going to take up 11 episodes. I really would love to have seen what Masaaki Yuasa could do with a 24-episoded series. His series have always been a tad too short to really get their full potential out.
First-Glance Potential: 100%
Sarai-ya Goyou
Summary: The story follows the lives of the House of Five Leaves gang members in Edo-era Japan during the height of the shougun’s rule. In particular, the masterless samurai (rōnin) Akitsu Masanosuke finds himself desperate for work after being let go by one lord after another for his naïvety. He becomes the bodyguard of the House of Five Leaves gang’s charismatic leader Yaichi and discovers there is more to the gang leader than his criminal activities would suggest. - (Taken from ANN)
Why you should look forward to it: Whoa! There are going to be TWO Noitamina-series this season! While Yojou-han already looked very impressive, this is really a series with an all-star cast: seasoned veteran Tomomi Mochizuki who worked on Umi Ga Kikoeru, Porfy no Nagai Tabi, Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, Fancy Lala and many more will be the director. This is one guy with an eye for creativity. On top of that, he’s been paired with one of the best animation companies you can get: Manglobe. The original creator is Natsume Ono of Ristorante Paradiso-fame, the art director is Michie Watanabe, who also did the art of a ton of Samurai Champloo episodes, the chief animation director Yoshimitsu Yamashita also directed the OP of Blade of the Immortal, among others. And to top things off: the character-designs are done by Kazuto Nakazawa, the director of Comedy. This is going to be a really well written series and a true feast for the senses.
Why you should not look forward to it: Um… yeah. I guess that the composers aren’t that experienced, but who cares?! They’re nowhere near bad.
First-Glance Potential: 100%
