Summer Anime Preview and Gourmet Cheese Fondue Party

June 24th, 2010

If it’s summer, then why has my state already set a record for rain this month?

Oh hey, it’s that same cut and paste as last season and all the ones before that.

If you’re taking any of these ‘previews’ as anything aside from idle chatter and self-indulgent ego stroking (myself included), then shame on you. All we’re really doing is looking at some pretty pictures and restating our genre preferences. It’s best to expect little from everything so that you can be happy when things do turn out fun rather than stake your claims now and then get uppity when your show turns out to actually have no budget, or the writers spent their weeknights sucking tequila body shots off of Taiwanese prostitutes. Until shows actually air, we’re all ignorant of that, which should be even more evident than usual after this last season. And shut up about the VAs already, remainder of the blog-o-community. Good VAs have never made a bad show good. Go watch Queen’s Blade and Galaxy Angel Rune if they’re so important.

Shows are listed by airdate with the US day being what’s marked. It doesn’t include OVAs (and there are quite a few this season) or anything that has yet to have even a vague broadcast schedule set. Feel free to point out any mistakes or information that has changed since I wrote things up. Please write any complaints you may have about my opinions on the back of a blank check and mail them to me so I can properly respond.

I’ve also put together all 38 of the released PVs and CMs I could find as of yesterday except for those that don’t show any of the show itself, no matter how fruity Fukuyama Jun is in them.

Hotfile
Megaupload
Torrent

NicoNico’s 2010 Summer Preview

The Wolf and Her Seven Friends
http://www.otogi-bank.com/
Studio: JC Staff
Genre: Comedy
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres June 30th (Late night)

Summary: 
Ookami Ryouko and Akai Ringo are part of a club at school that gets paid to solve the problems that arise. Ryoshi Morino wants to join the club, and is desperate for Ryouko’s affection.

Personal Outlook:
Yet another one of these myth based detective shows in the same vein as xxxHoLic, Bakemonogatari, Ghost Hunt, etc etc etc, only with western myths this time and character designs that are even less original. The director’s a longtime JC Staff guy, so I’m hoping it’ll turn out decent on that front, even if the head writer is a graduate from Queen’s Blade. Yuck.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
   
These puns are unbearable.

Amagami SS
http://www.amagami-ouen.com/
Studio: AIC
Genre: Romance
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 1st 

Summary: 
Junichi always gets depressed around Christmas and ends up spending the romantic holiday alone. However, it’s his last year of high school and this year, he’s not satisfied to spend it alone.

Personal Outlook: 
Somewhat bizarrely, this and Working share a significant number of key staffers. They’ve also stated that each heroine is going to have their own story animated in turn, which could really shoot them in the foot. If that’s their bizarre way of saying it’s going to be set up like Kimikiss with a new male character or two, that’s one thing. If it’s going to be five different two to three episode arcs, I’m really not sure that two or three episodes are enough enough to actually make the five compelling stories they’re aiming for. Continuous world resets are only fun when things end in a bloody massacre for all involved.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
    
Let’s get love for you!

Black Butler 2
http://www.kuroshitsuji.tv/
Studio: A-1
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 1st

Summary: 
Sequel series with a new cast and mostly new staff. Another demonic butler ably serves and protects his master in exchange for the human’s soul.

Personal Outlook: 
I didn’t make it very far through the first series since it took a long time to get going and had some annoying issues with the side characters doing slapstick in the background, but it did have potential and ended very well from what I’ve gathered. It’s still up against some stiff competition and it may or may not be particulaly accessible to me since I haven’t watched the first season to completeion, but we’ll see.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Welcome to my devilish stage. Nyahahahahaha……

The Legend of the Legendary Heroes
http://www.denyuden.jp/
Studio: ZEXCS
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 1st

Summary: 
After a terrible war ends, Lyner Lute is sent out to gather the artifacts of a legendary hero. Instead, he finds a deadly curse that has begun sweeping across the continent, as well as hints that his own past may be the gravest danger of them all.

Personal Outlook: 
I’m a big ZEXCS fan, love light hearted fantasy, and this director knows his action (Regios, Basara, Rental Magica) so I’m crossing my fingers that this’ll be good. The only real question mark is the head writer, whose ‘best’ work (to use the term lightly) is Linebarrels. Outside of that though, this looks like a Zexcs production by the books, right down to their curiously proficient, but still completely wrong use of English. Antiheroic Fantasy? Sure, whatever you say, ZEXCS. Whatever you say.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
   
Flying Squirrel x4 Appeared!

Campanella’s Blessing
http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/campanella/
Studio: AIC
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 2nd

Summary: 
Once every seven years, the city of Ert’Aria is blessed by an abudance of Ale, a magical crystal. Leicester and his friends visit Ert’Aria during this time and see a shooting star, that leads them to a mysterious girl who calls him her father.

Personal Outlook: 
You know, I may end up watching this just for how much fun it’ll be to make fun of half the cast for being named after food. The staff are all relatively nobodies and AIC’s a bit of a crapshoot these days on both the high and low ends of the spectrum, so who knows really. The chibi scenes in the PV look like they’re trying to copy Koihime too. Nothing else airs on Fridays this season, and it can’t be worse than… say… Polyphonica, can it?

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Collect mithril, undress women.

Mitsudomoe
http://www.mitsudomoe-anime.com/
Studio: Bridge
Genre: Comedy
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 2nd

Summary: 
Out of control perverted triplets run wild and rule the classroom and aren’t afraid to use all kinds of words or sexual harassment against their hapless teacher.

Personal Outlook: 
Another show with a somewhat strange lineage. The last major work for both the director and writer was the original season of Minami-ke. That’s a little promising, although Bridge is a complete newcomer. New studios have traditionally had a number of issues on their first time out of the games. Plus, any time you’ve got a bunch of tiny children making penis jokes, you’re treading a very fine line. I don’t think they can pull this off, but I wouldn’t be shocked if they did a good job with it.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
     
COOKIES

Student Council Officers
http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/seitokai/
Studio: GoHands
Genre: Comedy
Further Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 3rd

Summary: 
Sakurasai Academy recently began accepting both sexes, but with only 28 men and over 500 women, the balance is skewed and the rules are strict. Takatoshi, one of the few males, ends up getting assigned to the student council by its president, despite his attempts to escape.

Personal Outlook: 
Oh boy! The entire staff and studio that brought us Princess Lover are back! Since that turned out amazing, I can only imagine how awesome this is going to be! To be fair though, Princess Lover did have a couple moments early on where it was impressive and then quickly became entertainingly terrible without even needing to pass through much of a boring interim stage. Still, when your pedigree is that, expectations range from low to worse. The promo did look okay, but again… so did PL’s.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Don’t worry, Ma’am. I’m here to help.

Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~
http://www.sekirei-tv.com/
Studio: Seven Arcs
Genre: Action
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 4th (Early premiere a few weeks back)

Summary: 
Sequel series. Minato’s continuing quest to capture all the alien pokegirls… and the occasional pokehermaphrodite.

Personal Outlook: 
Exact same cast and staff as before so… there’s not a whole lot to say. Like everything Seven Arcs has made for the past five years, I expect an extreme pacing problems and uneven production, but an overall solid action show. They’ve been somewhat predictable lately.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Out of the harem pot, into the harem fire.

Highschool of the Dead
http://www.geneonuniversal.jp/rondorobe/anime/hotd/
Studio: Madhouse
Genre: Action
Further Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 4th (Late night)

Summary: 
A zombie outbreak devastates the world. Students are forced to band together to survive, even if it means killing their former friends.

Personal Outlook: 
I doubt this needs much introduction. The head writer’s one of the most prolific (both good and bad, I guess) and sucessful in the business, and the director’s no stranger to it either, though could often use a shot of ritalin to ease off the overacting. We’ll see if Madhouse plays up the action or the T&A though. Early promos are promising, but that’s the whole point of promos. I’m tentatively hopeful though. Plus, it airs off in its own little sub-timezone anyway.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
     
This must be the work of Japanese Solomon Grundy…

Nurarihyon’s Grandson
http://www.nuramago.jp/
Studio: Studio DEEN
Genre: Adventure
Further Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 5th

Summary: 
Rikuo is a quarter demon and tries to do good whenever he can in order to stop himself from transforming into a demon. However, he’s also the successor to his grandfather’s demon clan, so is targeted by both enemies as well as allies who want to see him ascend to his full power.

Personal Outlook: 
Oh boy! A show that comes from Jump! You know how I love Jump! What’s more, Studio Deen! And the shrieking banshee of Japan! Actually, the most impressive part is how many homoerotic things the head writer has done. Both male and female though! Maybe she just hates the idea of people breedng. *ahem* If it looks like a disaster, smells like a disaster, and sounds like a disaster, it probably will be one.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
              
Four horrific monsters beyond imagination.

Occult Academy
http://www.occult-gakuin.jp/
Studio: A-1
Genre: Mystery
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 5th

Summary: 
Because of all the mysterious incidents surrounding Waldstein Academy, it has become known as Occult Academy. The only daughter of the principal there hates the supernatural, but when he dies, she’s forced to take over and solve the mysteries of the school along with a psychic boy who claims to have travelled back in time from 2012. 

Personal Outlook:
Yet another one of A-1’s "Anime no Chikara" disasters in the making. The director’s a nobody, the writer is the genius that turned Railgun’s 5 episodes of content into 24 and A-1 is calling in Xebec to help out with the animation. Xebec. That’s like choosing Fat Wilbur first for kickball. The only point it serves is to drive expectations so low that anything will look good. Who knows. It may work.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
                                          
I almost have a clear shot……

Strike Witches 2
http://s-witch.cute.or.jp/
Studio: AIC
Genre: Action
Information Links: ANN Entry
Premieres July 7th

Summary: 
In a brave new world, girls fly through the sky with rockets on their legs in search of one thing, the one thing that could fill their lives and bring hope to the world… pants.

Personal Outlook: 
Despite moving from Gonzo to AIC, the key staff remains more or less unchanged, so there’s every reason to believe that any changes will be either cosmetic or purely production based. I bailed early on the first season and doubt I’ll give this one more than a cursory glance either since it’s a direct continuation. I still want to know why even the civilians don’t wear pants though. It’s… vexing.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Pants!

Shiki
http://www.okiagari.net/
Studio: Daume
Genre: Thriller
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 8th

Summary: 
In the late 20th century, mysterious deaths begin to occur in an isolated village. As the bodies begin to pile up, it becomes clear that the epidemic is actually supernatural forces preying on the villagers.

Personal Outlook: 
Very strange cast for this one. The director is a very long time veteran of kid’s movies dating back to the 80s while the writer is a complete unknown. Plus they have Gackt (Gackt!) voicing the lead. All that adds up to just one great big question mark. The art style in the promo was a little funky and uneven though, and featured entirely too many teenagers looking melodramatic than I would like to see in a show like this… at least providing they don’t all end up dead.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Two creatures of the night.

Let’s Go Play!
http://www.asoiku.com/
Studio: AIC Plus
Genre: Comedy
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 10th

Summary: 
A mysterious girl with cat ears appears one day claiming to be an alien and that secret organizations are out to get her and soon, the governments of Earth as well. Kio ends up taking her in and protecting her as the ambassador for Earth, but she’s only the first of many aliens to drop into his lap.

Personal Outlook: 
I have a lot of hope for this one actually, despite the insanely generic setup and promise of a worthless male lead. The director’s a nobody, but the head writer is extremely talented (BakaTest, Ga-rei Zero, ef, etc). The source is mostly parody anyway, so I don’t think the terrible premise will have too much of an effect. AIC Plus also made a very good showing in its debut as a new division of AIC in that exact category with GA Art Design Class. I do already fear the CG fish in the promo though.

Preseason Swing Rating: 

Wonder twin powers activate!!

Sengoku BASARA 2
http://www.sengokubasara.tv/
Studio: Production IG
Genre: Action
Staff Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 11th (Very early morning)

Summary: 
The continuing adventures of ancient samurai warriors getting their guns on, riding horses with tailpipes, and exploding. Now that Nobunaga’s been defeated, there’s a power vacuum as everybody struggles to seize control and a new warlord ascends.

Personal Outlook: 
Brand new director, same writer. This is taking over FMA’s timeslot too instead of its previous late night (Japan time) one, so there may be stylistic changes as well to adapt for the different audience. Hopefully that’ll mean less focus on yammering on about dry politics and being a warrior, but who knows. I’m still looking forward to it, if for no other reason than to see Japanese soldiers do conga lines in the OP. Plus the action… I guess. This does air at around 3am my time though, so don’t count on my usual speedy coverage.

Preseason Swing Rating: 
    
Don’t worry Momo, your time will come.

Final Thoughts:

There are a couple shows that appear to be abject disasters in the making, but most of the rest feel like they could go either way. Most importantly, it looks like Black Butler and Amagami are going to be the most maudlin things of the bunch. I’m certainly not going to miss the lack of heavy drama and people quoting Proust this season. The schedule does feel a little light, but that’s just because almost every sports show from last season is continuing on to this one. Plus the lack of Gonzo, which I consider a good thing. It’s looking like an awesome season for light hearted action though, so I’m excited for that at the very least. There are also new episodes of Futurama this summer too (which I most certainly have not already watched… *ahem*), so all in all, I’m pretty satisfied with the lineup for now. Hopefully we won’t have quite so many negative surprises this season.

Posted in Season Preview | 44 Comments »

44 Shouts From the Peanut Gallery

  • Chen says:

    ARE YOU READY GUYS

  • Sae says:

    Im not ready, Im filled with despair.

  • redlupine says:

    After throwing are my expectations on Angel Beats! last season and watching that blow up in my face, I’m gonna take your advice and expect nothing.

    I had some hopes for Occult Academy, but you have successfully dashed those by telling me the writer was the genius behind Railgun.

  • whoamI says:

    Cant wait for Strike Witches 2

  • Anonymous says:

    Strike witches is the only anime with any yuri potential and the rest are just ugh.

  • Sporklord says:

    Student Council Officers sounds like Hekiyoh’s Student Council, but with inverted attraction.

    Also, How do you manage to cram that much T&A into a ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE?

  • nomnom says:

    OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!! Im gonan explode

  • Jack Damn says:

    This season doesn’t look too bad. Can’t be worse than what we just slogged through. Not interested in Strike Witches and to a lesser extent, Sengoku BASARA, but the others look worthy of trying.

    I’m worried about Highschool of the Dead merely because of the abject overdrive hype that’s going on in some forums. If it’s good, great. If it sucks, it better suck good.

  • Mesousa says:

    BLOG FUTURAMA!

  • The Phantom says:

    FINALLY ANOTHER season, OMG this season has been the worst that I remember, the only thing that I watched was Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou, since Angel Beats took a turn for the worse, the rest was just generic comedy fillers and lots of garbage.

    From this season I am definitely looking forward to:

    **Gakuen Mokushiroku <– AWESOME!!, what else can I say, horror, violence, the director of death note, I have high expectatives for this show, this promises to be the anime of the year, only time will tell.

    **Shiki <–YEEEEAAAA!!! I love this season already!!!! Show me a bit of well made horror on top of whatever, and I will watch it period, blood thirsty vampires FTW.

    **Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi <– WTH? this reminds me of toradora a bit, definitely going to watch this I am sucker for this kind of shows.

    **Amagami SS <– No matter how much I complain about shows like this, I like them, a bit a comedy mixed in and is a winner formula for me.

    **Seitokai Yakuindomo <– Watching this, It will probably turn out generic, it does not matter, I am watching it regardless, just a bit of comedy and romance tatam, we got a winner.

    **Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu <– looks quite generic, but can turn out very good, have good hopes for it.

    **Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin <– Supernatural and comedy, I am so in.

    • The Phantom says:

      Definitely not going to watch:

      **Shukufuku no Campanella <– Lolis and harem? NO NO NO, I hate lolis with passion, no exception.

      **Sengoku Basara 2 <– First season was one of the biggest piece of shit I have ever seen in anime format, nothing can be worse than an idiot with six swords in two hands that tries waaaaaaaaaaaaay too hard to be/look cool, rest of the cast are as retarded or worse.

      **Nurarihyon no Mago <–LMAO, cant help but laugh everytime I watch the hair design of the main character, a rip off of inuyasha with bleach elements mixed in, not to mention I hate those show anyway.

      ** Asobi ni Iku yo! <– A cute anime, I just hate those, no mercy.

      **Kuroshitsuji 2 <– first season bored the hell out of me, not watching this period

      **Strike Witches 2 <– Blatant fanservice.

      ** Mitsudomoe <– Lolis and ecchi? O god no, please NO.

      ** Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~ <– How can piece of shit like this show get another season? Give me regios 2, darker than black 3, what about a REAL persona 3 anime? Heck another ghost in the shell anime, toradora 2, just whatever over this.

      Anyway this season looks MUCH BETTER than the previous one, I missed so much my daily dose of anime and this season looks good and thats enough to make me happy :D

      • JTFish says:

        This is the most homosexual comment I have ever read.

      • Yue says:

        You get to watch anime for free from cable, web streaming, and telecast downloads.

        Don’t buy shows you don’t want to watch in hi~res. It’s what makes a “converted follower of a show” truly does, it’s what strikes your heart into spending.

        Mmmmm, come to think of it, bloggers are “necessary beings” to spare us the stress of assessing shows.

      • sage says:

        Everytime The Phantom speaks, a loli dies, an angel loses its wings, and balls touch.

        Please, The Phantom… shut the fsck up and think of the lolis/angels/homophobes.

      • wt says:

        I only watch mature anime for mature anime fans such as myself

      • Solaris says:

        There’s a proverb in my country that tells something like: “He who speaks ill of something actually ends buying it”

    • Dudeman says:

      That’s really just plain sad, man. really.

  • cutemi2 says:

    The Wolf and Her Seven Friends
    Amagami SS
    Campanella’s Blessing
    Student Council Officers
    Sekirei ~Pure Engagement~
    Let’s Go Play!

  • Kaisos says:

    My picks, you asked?

    The Wolf and her Seven Friends
    The Legendary Legend of the Legendary Heroes who are Legendary
    Highschool of the Dead
    and Shiki

    Everything else looks like complete crap, as usual. Still better than last season with its all of two decent shows.

  • Albedo says:

    Sekirei season 2 :3

    And Let’s Go Play.

    I need some good harem anime. Daimaou just didn’t do it for me. The protagonist actually had times where he grew a brain-stem and they didn’t really have a decision at the end. I wanted my polygamy ending and now I have to look to this season to provide it instead.

  • Anise Punter says:

    “Go watch Queen’s Blade and Galaxy Angel Rune if they’re so important.”

    I was actually struggling through an episode of Rune as I was reading this post (episode 8, at least halfway done). God, it might be the worst anime I’ve ever seen that’s not a trashy fanservice comedy.

    I was hoping at least one show would warrant that vicious badger from last season, but no dice. Instead I get to have nightmares about that Pikachu-hybrid sprite.

  • Yue says:

    What the HELL!? Where are my MECHA and SEINEN shows!? snaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake…

  • rincewind says:

    Highschool of the Dead. I cant wait to watch it. Zombies, action and fanservice. YEAY!
    Strike Witches 2, is win in my book. But, please, with more yuri this time.

    And maybe Shiki… geez… I miss Higurashi.

  • meganeshounen says:

    >>Nothing else airs on Fridays this season, and it can’t be worse than… say… Polyphonica, can it?

    I… almost took offense in that, if you referring to the second series. But if we’re talking about the OTHER one, well…

  • ark noir says:

    I wonder how many of these 38 shows will have a girl, alien or not, falling out of the sky and dropping on the protagonist in episode one?

  • Aex says:

    For the love… are there enough potential harem shows coming this summer?? It’s almost all either something that could be a harem, or an idiot guy getting dominated. “Cautiously Optimistic” fits this season preview well.

    Wait… I thought .hack//Link was starting in July? Or did that go away when I wasn’t looking (which wouldn’t be a surprise). Or was I just on something? >.<

    • Dm says:

      ….It’s Texas!!..Oh wait, it’s suppose to be a reply to Silver…never mind, it’s close enough.

      (Second best guess is Arlia)

  • Silver says:

    “If it’s summer, then why has my state already set a record for rain this month?”

    What? Are you in Oregon or Washington? Damn rain alright.

    Anyway, hell yeah. I’m going to watch everything at least once.

  • GF202020 says:

    Watch Nurarihyon’s Grandson simply for Yuki-onna.

    You won’t be disappointed if it’s just for her.

    …but if they fuck her up somehow, I’ll help you lead the charge to demolish the studio that made it.

  • Senna says:

    Wow, I’ve never even heard of half this stuff, which I guess just shows how little I’ve been paying attention this season. Shiki is the only title that interests me, and that’s only because of the original creator, Fuyumi Ono. Those character designs look hideous, though …

  • sora says:

    (1) Campanella’s Blessing – (2) Highschool of the Dead – (3) Student Council Officers – (4) The Legend of the Legendary Heroes – (5) The Wolf and Her Seven Friends

    And if all else fails, I can always study to ease the pain^^ *pump fist into the air* Why Zeus!?!?!? Why!?!?!? When Will I see the day they continues the sequels of shows that must/desire a ending!?!?!? I wait for that day…. Damn you Zeus!!! Damn You!!!

  • sora says:

    I am also adding to the list Occult Academy and Shiki >:]

  • Moogy says:

    Shukufuku no Campanella’s official non-Japanese title is La Campanella Della Benedizione, apparently. Of course, given that it’s still not English…

    Anyway, looks like I’m agreeing with you more and more as the seasons wear on. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

  • Nazarielle says:

    Continuous world resets are only fun when things end in a bloody massacre for all involved.

    Maybe it’ll go the School Days route and have world resets, harem antics, AND bloody massacres.

    What’s more, Studio Deen!

    Oh dear god kill it with fire.

  • Celestial says:

    studio GOHANDS

  • TOKWA says:

    Yeah,not a good season but AIC is on fire!!! 4 shows in one season?! That’s bad trend, i remember one studio doing the same thing and went bankrupt*GONZO*

  • Yue says:

    Base on this post:

    35 girls
    13 guys
    1 zombie hand

    way to go effective marketing

  • MisaoFan says:

    Aroduc, what’s genres when do you dislike ?