 |
|
|
Blade
http://www.animax.co.jp/marvelanime/blade/
Studio: Madhouse
Genre: Action
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 1st
Summary:
The Daywalker vampire Blade travels to Japan where he confronts Deacon Frost, the vampire that killed his mother, and encounter Existence, an organization of enhanced vampires.
Personal Thoughts:
Oh thank the heavens. Our year long nightmarish journey through Madhouse’s Marvel adaptations is nearly over. And they’re ending on such a high note… with… Blade. I see little reason this would be any better made than the others. In a way, it’s almost impressive. They’ve had a completely different staff working on all of these and they’re three for three on being terrible in basically the same way each time. Let’s see if they can hit the cycle.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif) .gif)
Marvel x Madhouse has been the worst idea since robosexual marriage.
|
|
|
|
Ro-Kyu-Bu!
http://www.ro-kyu-bu.com/
Studio: Studio Blanc
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 1st
Summary:
When Subaru joins his high school basketball team, he finds out that the team was disbanded due to rumors that the captain was a pedophile. His only chance to stay in touch with the sport he loves is to take over as coach for a local elementary school’s basketball team.
Personal Thoughts:
Oi. Why? Although what’s really weird about this one is that it’s Seven Arcs’s director working on this. That’s just one of the many very weird staff matchups this season. Of course, since in the promos and art involve the camera shoved up the girls’ butts, maid uniforms, panty flashes, one of these ‘elementary’ school girls has breasts nearly as large as the basketballs, and a wet t-shirt contest, it’s hard to assume that this is going to be focusing on trying to be funny instead of panning up and down little girls’ sweaty bodies while they gasp and pant… while draped all over their balls.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Something unholy this way comes.
|
|
|
|
God’s Notebook
http://www.kamimemo.com/
Studio: JC Staff
Genre: Mystery
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 2nd (One hour broadcast, episode 2 doesn’t air until July 15th)
Summary:
Narumi is a loner at school until he stumbles into the life of Alice, a young girl detective that refuses to leave her home. He ends up embroiled in the cases that she has to solve, acting as her liason to the rest of the world.
Personal Thoughts:
So. A mystery series. Let’s just see who ol’ JC Staff got to write this. …The writer behind Occult Academy and Railgun… And the director of adaptations, Tsukihime and Betrayal Knows My Name. Well then! Although considering its rivalry in the mystery category with such powerhouses like GOSICK… You know what? I don’t even want to finish. This is just getting depressing. I’m not even a big fan of mysteries to begin with and if nothing else, recent years have convinced me that Detective Conan is as close as they’re going to get.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Protagonist is probably denser than four planetoids combined.
|
|
|
|
The Prince’s Song – It’s Really 1000% Love!
http://utapri.tv/
Studio: A-1
Genre: Delicious Boys
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 2nd
Summary:
Haruka’s only friend has always been music, so she enrolls in a special academy to train to become a great songwriter. However, the school also trains singers, and she gets partnered up with three boys studying hard to become male idols.
Personal Thoughts:
Based on one of the most shamelessly obvious Mary Sue games ever made. The most hilarious part of this is that it has Wakamoto as the idol school’s principal who hates love… and is named Shining. Nothing interesting about the staff either. At least you can say that they really really know how to make sparkly beautiful men. It is somewhat funny that A-1 is making two idol shows this season unashamedly targeted at each sex exclusively.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Three male Idols… every 1980s teenage girl’s wet dream.
|
|
|
|
Sacred Seven
http://www.sacred7.jp/
Studio: Sunrise
Genre: Action
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 2nd
Summary:
Arma doesn’t like being around people and refuses his fellow classmates’ attempts to get along with him. Then, Ruri, the young CEO of a massive business, appears on his doorstep and tells him that he has the power of Sacred Seven and has to help them fight off encroaching monsters.
Personal Thoughts:
If you’re wondering who the writer behind this is, it’s because he’s been writing Yu-Gi-Oh. For the last eleven years. It must be nice to have a steady paycheck at least. Otherwise, it sounds like your generic Jump Action in a Can Storytm right down to the sullen teenager who won’t even go out for milkshakes with you but is the only person apparently fabulous enough to fit into the stretch pants and shiny tiara needed to save the world. Huzzah.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
The second fruitiest Sunrise show for the summer.
|
|
|
|
Nurarihiyon’s Grandson – Millenium Demon Capital
http://www.nuramago.jp/
Studio: Deen
Genre: Action
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 3rd (Very early morning)
Summary:
Sequel series. A boy with demon blood is the successor to his family’s clan. He has to balance his human life during the day with the demonic side of him at night.
Personal Thoughts:
The actual token Jump show for the season… and a sequel at that! Double bonus! Didn’t make it to the end of episode two of the first season due to low production values and mountains of terrible cliches. I doubt I’ll do anything more than glance at it to see the OP and ED… no, wait… they’ve got Hirano Aya singing again. Well, there goes that.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
Bidoof approved.
|
|
|
|
Crossings of A Labyrinth from a Foreign Land
http://ikokumeiro.com/
Studio: Satelight
Genre: Drama
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 3rd
Summary:
Towards the end of the 19th century, trade is thriving between France and Japan. A young Japanese girl finds a job at a metalworks shop in Paris and begins to learn about France’s culture as well as sharing Japan’s culture with everybody around her.
Personal Thoughts:
It’s always amusing to see Junico Sato’s name in the credits just because he’s done everything. Most notably the Aria series (the gondolas, not the segways), but has also directed and composed when the mood takes him. Anyway, he’s writing here, and the promos are all the soothing, relaxing affairs that tend to knock me unconscious generally are not to my taste.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
It’s a labyrinth because France contains minotaurs.
|
|
|
|
Natsume’s Book of Friends 3
http://www.nasinc.co.jp/jp/natsume-anime/
Studio: Brain’s Base
Genre: Friend Making
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 4th
Summary:
Sequel sequel series. Natsume’s continuing adventures trying to return the names to all the spirits in his book and give them their freedom.
Personal Thoughts:
A series that seems to inspire one of two things in people, an intense love that crosses time and space and brings them to a fervor usually reserved for the love between harp seals and trout, or the compelling urge to take a nap. I belong to the latter category. I’m technically 23 episodes behind and I cannot imagine giving this anything more than a cursory glance.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
You must be at least this classy to watch the show.
|
|
|
|
Twin Thief Angels – Heartthrob Paradise
http://twin-angel.tv/
Studio: JC Staff
Genre: Who Knows
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 4th
Summary:
Haruka and Aoi are schoolgirls by day, but magical girls by night, fighting off the villains from Black Auction.
Personal Thoughts:
What is it with shows using pachinko characters lately? It’s like anime producers discovered a rich untapped vein of potential and eagerly began mining pure drek. What’s next? Shows based on gay anthropomorphisms of their train stations? Wait a minute… crap. The title alone here makes me uneasy for both its redundancy and its length. "快盗天使ツインエンジェル 〜ã‚ュンã‚ュン☆ã¨ãã‚ãパラダイスï¼ï¼" I feel like I’ve watched an episode just by reading it. I can’t say that I haven’t enjoyed making fun of them though, and if this is anything like the others, it’ll have more lesbian undertones than Wonder Woman getting tied up and licked by Cheetah while Batgirl watches.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png) .png)
Being a magical girl used to mean something.
|
|
|
|
Yuruyuri
http://yuruyuri.com/
Studio: Dogakobo
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 4th
Summary:
Four girls take over the tea club’s room to use as their own hangout to screw around and have fun after school.
Personal Thoughts:
Somewhat oddly, outside of the studio change, this is all but Mitsudomoe’s staff. That does give me a little hope that they know their comedy, but Mitsudomoe also started out strong, then ran most of its jokes into the ground and in the later going, only seemed to get all its ducks in a row once or twice a month. Besides all that, their eyes creep me the hell out. They look more fish than human.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif) .gif)
Lesbots… roll out!
|
|
|
|
Dolls of God
http://www.kamisama-anime.jp/
Studio: Brain’s Base
Genre: Thriller
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 5th
Summary:
Kyouhei’s village treats robot-like dolls that the people there use as divine creatures. He leaves the village to go to college in the city, but witnesses a murder soon after arriving. His sister and her doll show up in the city and tells him that someone from their village is the killer.
Personal Thoughts:
Okay, so… one PV is about a cute little girl scampering around and using her giant golem to play Ace Combat. The other PV is a shakey cam of corpses and shouting. It’s not promising that they’re advertising this in two completely different ways before it even begins. You know how turgid I get over consistency in style and presentation. The be-all, end-all though, is that I’m not sure which side is going to be the primary focus and I don’t know that either one of them looks particularly strong, particularly when diluted.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
The gods must be crazy.
|
|
|
|
Bunny Drop
http://www.usagi-drop.tv/
Studio: Production IG
Genre: Drama
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 7th
Summary:
Daikichi’s family learns at their grandfather’s funeral that he had a very young daughter that none of them knew about. Nobody else will take her in, so Daikichi decides to adopt and raise her himself.
Personal Thoughts:
Oh boy! Here’s noitaminA’s first show! A drama about a middle-aged guy adopted a girl and learning the true meaning of family. Spoiler: They live, they grow, they decide that the most important thing is each other. I can feel the bile rising already. Every time I give a noitaminA show a shot, it ends up hurting me. I don’t see this healing my black tattered soul any more than any others of its ilk.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
This is what happens when you drop bunnies.
|
|
|
|
No. 6
http://www.no-6.jp/
Studio: Bones
Genre: Thriller
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 7th
Summary:
No. 6 is meant to be an ideal city, and Shion was allowed to live in luxury due to his talents. However, when he took in a refugee from the poor quarter of the city, he was banished to live in the city’s slums. Four years later, a strange accident occurs that starts to unravel the secrets behind No. 6.
Personal Thoughts:
Here’s show #2 for Railgun/Occult Academy’s writer for the season. What joy. The other noitaminA show as well, but that’s just adding insult to injury. The writer of the original source is also the person behind Telepathy Girl Ran, a show that was so dull that it is currently used to euthanize frogs for dissection. The main thing in this show’s promos that seem to set it apart from anything else is its abuse of CG. Plus, after the last couple season, I trust no show that claims to have a genius character and after GOSICK, particularly not Bones.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Spoiler: The city is run by an evil lamp.
|
|
|
|
The IDOLM@STER
http://www.idolmaster-anime.jp/
Studio: A-1
Genre: Insert Songs
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 7th
Summary:
A bunch of girls train hard to be the greatest idol in the world.
Personal Thoughts:
Isn’t the whole point of the IM@S fandom to find a character and then fight everybody else over which is the best? How they’re going to work with that and having an ensemble cast of with more main characters than episodes. I think their best bet would be to pull a Galaxy Angel or Milky Holmes and ignore the source entirely to send the girls on wacky adventures that make no sense. Of course, with A-1 doing the writing, that’s going to happen anyway… but it probably won’t be on purpose. Then again, this does have GA Art Class’s writer, but I would bet on A-1’s influence over hers.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
I bread this show.
|
|
|
|
Blood-C
http://www.blood-c.jp/
Studio: Production IG
Genre: Action
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 7th
Summary:
Kisaragi Saya lives a normal life with her father until The Old Ones attack and attempt to devour humans. Her power is the only thing that can defeat them.
Personal Thoughts:
I can’t say that I was a fan of Blood+ with its overwhelming angst in the later going, and adding Clamp to do the writing… the same Clamp who spent the last few years writing stories about how fourteen Syaorans running around through their multiverse falling in love with their mother’s clone… doesn’t exactly excite me either. Unfortunately, Production IG has really been slipping on the technical quality of their tv series in recent years, which only gets all the more noticeable in their action shows like Basara. Either their movies or Xebec have been monopolizing all their animation talent. Consider my expectations low.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
|
|
|
|
Mayo Chiki!
http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/mayochiki/
Studio: Feel
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 7th
Summary:
Kanade employs her classmate Subaru as a butler, but one day, one of Subaru’s classmates discovers that Subaru is actually a girl. If her secret is let out, Subaru will be kicked out of school, so Kinjirou is sucked into Subaru’s life to help her keep her secret.
Personal Thoughts:
Another show with an odd fit. The director usually does action shows, the writer does dramas (and K-On, ew), and lately, Feel is all but incapable of doing a show that goes two minutes without the camera being up someone’s skirt. Well, at least that last bit fits the show. Still, I feel like this show was set up with Madlibs. –Name1– discovers that –Name2– is secretly a –Noun– and must keep their secret or –Unpleasant Event Involving Badgers–. Just because they elevated the girl unconvincingly pretending to be a guy from a side character ala Stratos to the main one doesn’t really make it any more new or interesting.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
All the colors of the rainbow.
|
|
|
|
Idiots, Tests, and Summoned Beasts 2
http://www.bakatest.com/
Studio: Silver Link
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 7th
Summary:
Sequel series. The continuing adventures of the idiots of Class F and their summoned beast battles based on their grades.
Personal Thoughts:
I did enjoy the first season (aside from the godawful last episode), but the best parts were always the battles. Unfortunately, there were only a few of those through the entire show. It’s still a decent comedy without that, but hopefully we’ll see a lot more of them this season, or at the very least, Himeji will finally melt down and kill her main rival for Yoshii’s heart, Hideyoshi.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Four drink minimum.
|
|
|
|
The Black Rabbit of the Occasional Demon
http://www.itsu-ten.jp/
Studio: ZEXCS
Genre: Action
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 8th
Summary:
Taito dreams of a girl vampire that claims to have infected him. He’s run over while saving a girl from being hit by a truck and discovers that he’s immortal. The girl from his dream reappears, and monsters begin emerging from all around him threatening their lives.
Personal Thoughts:
So… KoreZom’s premise with Zexcs in charge instead of Deen. Well, the writing can’t turn out worse, right? Right? And Zexcs is Zexcs. They’ve been so very very average in the past couple years. Dragging good premises down and elevating the ones that look awful. They do bring relatively consistent action and decent production to their shows, so I’m optimistic that this will probably be watchable, but I’m not expecting much more than that. Completely new staff at the helm for this one too, which will probably help it more than hurt. The promos for this are also hilarious. Zexcs dragged their English speaker out to tell us how this is a "fierce, magnificent battle for love" and a "reverse battle action." Uh, okay Zexcs. Whatever you say.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Whatever kind of rabbit is related to this show is a foul mutant beast.
|
|
|
|
Countless Cat Gods
http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/nekogami/
Studio: AIC+
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 8th (evening)
Summary:
Yuzu’s shop is inhabited by Mayu, a mischevious cat god that wants to spend every day playing with all the other gods that come to visit.
Personal Thoughts:
Almost a 100% carryover in staff and cast from GA Art Design Class, one of my favorite comedies from recent years. I’m hoping that they can bring just a fraction of the same charm and energy that GA had, instead of reverting to their prior exceedingly boring ways. The promos have the gods dueling with cardboard swords and fighting tanks, so that’s a good start. I’m optimistic about this one, so AIC+ better not betray me, especially with it airing in the evening with no competition whatsoever.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
Gods are getting ready to play. Please wait warmly.
|
|
|
|
R-15
http://kadokawa-anime.jp/R-15/
Studio: AIC
Genre: Comedy
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 9th
Summary:
Despite his young age, Takuto is already a well established pornography writer. He uses that to enroll in a school of people with special talents where he dreams of building the ultimate harem for himself. The only catch is that he’ll have to use the talents that got him into the school to also help his class win its competitions with the other classes.
Personal Thoughts:
I don’t even understand how one becomes a celebrated porn writer. It’s just like being a normal writer, but you add "and then they screw" at the end. That goes triply true for Japanese media… thank you years of playing eroge. Or if you’re Anne Rice, call everybody vampires and substitute "penis thrusting" for "fangs thrusting." Also, how does the mime genius compete? Or the clarinetist? Aaaanyway, AIC’s been mostly a good bet lately, OreImo notwithstanding, but there’s still plenty of reason to be wary. The director’s resume is full of things like Da Capo, Fortune Arterial, and Kiss x Sis, while the writer’s resume is full of drama about girls sexually assaulting other girls, mostly so laughably bad that they ended up funny. Otoboku is the only thing between the two of them even approaching a passable comedy, so I expect this to run high on the fanservice and low on anything else.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif)
Disturbing… and yet… intriguing…
|
|
|
|
Tale of the Secret Blade of Witch’s Milk
http://oppaidaisuki.jp/
Studio: Hoods Entertainment
Genre: Boobs
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 10th
Summary:
In this world of warriors, breasts are everything. Those with the biggest breasts, have the most power. The Manyuu (Witch’s Milk) clan is one of the most powerful, but its latest successor hates the boob social order and has taken their scroll containing all their secrets on how to grow the biggests breasts, as well as how to destroy the breasts of others, in order to restore proper order to the land.
Personal Thoughts:
Ah, Hoods. They’re really carving themselves out a giant breast shaped niche here with shows involving lactation, aren’t they? Actually, I had never heard the term witch’s milk before. A possible cause is fungal infection! Aaaaanyway, straight from Qwaser to this, substituting only the writer. For the one behind Railgun and Occult Academy. Awesome. And yes, that’s right, it’s her third show this season. Who knows though. Maybe it’ll be enough of a flaming disaster that it’ll be impossible to look away.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.gif) .gif) .gif)
The day of a show about strippers stripping is fast approaching.
|
|
|
|
Dantalian’s Bookshelf
http://dantalian.tv/
Studio: Gainax
Genre: Adventure
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premiers July 15th
Summary:
Hugh inherits a mysterious mansion when his grandfather dies. In its basement, he finds a mysterious girl who calls herself a dantalian. She shows him a magical bookshelf full of demonic books and asks for his help in fighting against the other demonic books in the world that threaten its delicate balance.
Personal Thoughts:
The original source here is by the same writer as Asura Cryin’, a show that did have a fairly strong plot when it wasn’t tripping over its pacing and production issues. Still, Gainax doesn’t make many (any) shows like this, and it’s a complete newbie director too, so something here doesn’t quite add up. The promo for this was very underwhelming as well, especially for containing a dragon. How can you screw up a guy with a pistol fighting a dragon?
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
One badass evil overtome.
|
|
|
|
Spinning Penguindrum
http://penguindrum.jp/
Studio: Brains Base
Genre: Penguins?
Staff/Cast Information: ANN Entry
Premieres July 15th
Summary:
Twin brothers live with and take care of their sickly younger sister… who was never meant to have a future.
Personal Thoughts:
Man, don’t look at me. Anybody who claims to know anything definite about this show is a liar. The only real info they’ve released is "this is being done by the director behind Utena"… who then apparently retired to his mountain abode to stew for the last decade and a half… and some art showing Himari using a slingshot the size of a Buick. If it’s like Utena, it probably fires volkswagons as a metaphor for sex with her brothers who end up being God. And contain 5 minutes of stock footage an episode. Also, there’s a penguin.
Preseason Swing Rating:
.png)
Real penguins are smelly, not cute.
|
|
Aroduc 
DmonHiro 
Chen 
Some Guy 
invinciblegod 
Ethan 
Yue 
backspace 
Nanaya 
Nazarielle 
Jack 
Anonymous 
Celestial_bing 
jingoi 
KLAC-O 
marvelous stan 
Kirby 
Fhoenix 
U.Renko
Trying to figure out what Type-MOON is thinking definitely seems to be one of the quicker paths to madness.
Agreeing about BakaTest and Cat Gods, though I think I might give Dolls of God a try as well. Any series that can appreciate Ace Combat at least warrants a look.
You really ought to have a ‘Best of…’ post for all your little rating-things at some point.