Whew, my early thoughts are, uh, really early! I just kind of felt like doing the research this morning, and since it can sometimes be a chore, I decided to run with it! Besides, it is only 3 weeks again until the next season, so yeah…
Anyway, much like the Summer Season, the Winter Season this year is jam packed with a boatload of new stuff. As per usual, I’ll post them in some random arbitrary order, giving a short description with the promo image and quite possibly a disturbing caption if I can think of one. On top of that, I’ll put a couple of thoughts and a chances of watching.
There’s alot of random sequels and continuations as well this season:
Asura Cryin’ II, Inuyasha Final Act, a Kanokon OVA, a retelling of Koihime Musou, Natsu no Arashi II, Nogizaka Haruka Himitsu: Purezza, a Mahoromatic OVA, and Darker than Black II.
I won’t include these in the lineup as they are obviously continues and if you’re watched the original, you’ve probably got a good idea of what they’ll be like and whether you’ll want to watch them.
11 Eyes
A dating game adaptation, it also seems to take the generic ‘lets throw everyone into a fantasy world and give them cool powers’ theme. Sliders gone Shounen. Of course, there is the usual disparity between male and female numbers, since out of seven students there are just 2 guys. I took a quick stare at the CG set, and it seems to involve lots of magical circles, giant explosions and bizarre mecha. So it could be interesting, I guess.
Odds of Watching: 11 out of 15 eyes.
Obviously Shounen Harem, but sometimes you need a mindless action series. I’ll look at it.
Tartan skirts and berets are popular at the moment, apparently.
I also felt the need to share this image from the CG set:
This girl is holding Index! I LOL’ed.
Seitokai no Ichizone
Not alot to go on here, but its about a student council. Which, given the usual theme, is overpopulated by female specimens. One guy is, according to the literature, ‘given the honour of gracing this nirvana’. We can probably safely assume its a least a little silly or ecchi (delete as applicable). What is about anime and the all powerful student council, eh?
Odds of Watching: 2 votes for yay, 3 for nay
Not terribly enthusiatic. I get irritated by all powerful student councils.
I’m guessing the Chibi is the guy. This kind of promotional shot only reminds me of Shana-Tan though.
Fairy Tail
I’m thinking it really should be Fiery Tail, given the below image. But apparently this refers to some sort of mages guild on a fantasy world. A girl is striving to join this guild, whom are known to be dangerous lunatics (what?) when she is kidnapped and subsequently rescued by a guy who apparently knows Dragon Slave (or some other very similar tactical nuclear class magic). The two join up and hilarity ensues.
Odds of Watching: Three giant explosions, two fizzles.
The character design irritates me, but I’ll look into it and maybe change my mind.
Well, he looks like the bastard child of Black Star from Soul Eater and Sakura from Naruto. And apparently Lina Inverse is his grandmother. Thats a fracking scary combination.
Kuuchuu Blank
An anime adaptation of a prolific novel by Hideo Okuda about a psychiatrist and their various patients. Given the frankly bizarre promotional image, I think we can safely say this is not your average family bereavement councilling. More likely total lunatics and people with vivid imaginations gone awry. Weirdness on a stick, huh?
Odds of Watching: 89% chance of insanity
I like weirdness on a stick. I shall certainly at least try to watch this.
I’ll just hide in these clown trousers, m’kay?
Kampher
The Japanese love to use random German stuff in their anime, don’t they? This looks like it could turn into a general shounen fanservice flick, though, given the old cliche of needing girls bodies for power (sigh) in a fairly generic battle royale scenario. When they don’t even feature the male lead in the promo shot, you have to wonder whether he’s just going to be a lazy lecher.
Odds of Watching: Five bodies available, but can only manage a threesome… (sadly)
I’m very wary about this. Depends on how much bang there is for your buck. Too much innuendo!
I appear to be tripping over for no discernable reason.
Tatakau Shisho: The Book of Bantorra
Now here’s something interesting. In this, people turn into books when they die, and are stored thus in a library called Bantorra. There’s a guy with amnesia sent to kill the ‘worlds most powerful librarian’ (blimey, thats a title I doubt anyone would have!?) who’s in charge of Bantorra, but he falls head over heels for her instead and gets embroiled in the conflict surrounding these dead people books and the library which contains them. Yami to Boshi meets Toshokan Sensei, anyone? And its a fantasy light novel adaptation, which is always a good sign in my books (lol)…
Odds of Watching: Five years of library fines, repaid in full
I’m very interested in this, and it seems a dead cert.
Kinda trendy animation style too, I must say.
Nyan Koi!
Well, with a title that literally means ‘Meow Love’ I don’t think you really need any indication that this will be at least slightly ecchi. Nevertheless, I have to say I was vastly amused by the concept. A guy with cat allergies unfortunately has a crush on a girl who loves kitties. Annoyed with his situation, he kicks the crap out of a trash can, which through some supremely bad fortune, contains a Cat Deity. As a curse to the poor guy, he now finds he can understand what all cats say, and if he does not grant 100 wishes from random cats, he will turn into one himself. Talk about a personal hell.
Odds of Watching: Four striped kittens, One black kitten.
I like cats. I like the stupid concept. I will probably throw away my pride and watch it.
Its raining cats. Just cats. Not cats and dogs. Just cats.
A Certain Scientific Railgun
SQUEEEEE!!!!!!! A series based on Misaka Mikoto!!!!! My delightful Railgun Girl! BiriBIRI!!! <SMACK> Ouch. Yes, I need to control my oozing fanboy tendancies. I apologise. As you might imagine, this is a gaiden (side story) to A Certain Magical Index. We’ll probably get to see more of Academy City and doubtless learn just why her self proclaimed sister has such extreme Yuri tendancies. All good, if you ask me. But you shouldn’t, of course, I’m hideously biased.
Odds of Watching: Five Headshots out Five
I’m a squeeling biri-biri fanboy, of course I’m going to watch it.
The imouto looks pretty scary chasing that crepe, I have to say.
Tegami Bachi: Letter Bee
Apparently something between Shigofumi and the Postman (with 100% less Kevin Costner), it involves a steampunk world where governement employees replace the usual mailmen. A young boy idolises one of these mailmen who delivers him a letter, and strives to become one himself. When, after several years training, he finally does, his idol has disappeared. So the mystery of finding him (no doubt whilst engaging in some hardcore action mail delivery) begins.
Odds of Watching: Three successful deliveries, Two lost in the mail
I’m actually quite interested in this. Not because of the Loli with the monkeydragon. Not at all. No really.
I hope Royal Mail staff don’t actually adopt this uniform change anytime soon.
Seiken no Blacksmith
Another one based on a fantasy light novel. Cool. A nobles daughter joins a knighthood in a land which is recovering from a Supernatural war which involved a ‘devils contract’ being forced upon the land. She is looking for a blacksmith called Luke to repair her heirloom sword when she encounters some bandits who are dispatched by a guy wielding a bizarre weapon that appears to also be imbued with the ancient devils contract power.
Odds of Watching: 80% chance of Broken Steel
Again, I like the concept, and I think it has potential.
What are the bets that the green clothed girl is a mage, then?
Yumeiro Patissiere
Well, as you might ascertain from the title, this is about a dejikko (clumsy) girl who dreams about being a pastry chef, when she is admitted to the St. Mary Academy culinary school and meets a Sugar Fairy who decides to help her. Might form a cute slice of life comedy. Looks like a similar art style to Gakuen Alice or Fruits Basket too. It seems like all good pastry chefs have sugar fairies to act as inspiration in this!
Odds of Watching: Four delicious fairies, one burnt grig
I’m vastly amused by the concept of a patissiere anime.
That fairy she has is so a strawberry glutton. I can tell.
Sora no Otashimono: Lost Property of the Sky
Almost invariably a Harem comedy, this series is about an angel that gets lost and falls from the sky. Naturally, into the life of a random middle school boy. All angels in this apparently have flight assisting hairclips and prisoner collars for no reason, and as per usual, theres a loli and busty pair. Can’t say I have high hopes, given how far Princess Lover and Akane Iro have raised the bar for Harem comedies recently, but we shall see.
Odds of Watching: Two cute angels, Two scary devils
Yeah, its a 50/50 thing. Depends on the time available.
“Wah! Wah! I’m a king dammit! I can roll on your lap and chibi all I want! WAHHH!”
Kobato
A new offering from the ladies of CLAMP, this time trying their hands at Shounen. Its about a clone of Tohru Honda stupendously perky girl who is the series namesake. She has a mission to fill a bottle with the suffering collected from peoples hearts. Apparently, doing so will allow her a wish granted by a certain special place. In the meantime she also has a crush, but cannot fall for this guy as he is one of the hearts she has decided to heal or something. She also has a vicious looking blue dog plush for some reason.
Odds of Watching: 75% chance of annihilated innocence
Its CLAMP, so I should give it a chance. I like the blue dog. Reminds me of Max.
She seems to literally RADIATE innocence with that character design.
Kimi No Todoke: Reaching You
A shoujo school romance about a girl who for some reason terrifies everybody she wants to try and make friends with because she comes on too strong or something. This is despite the fact that she only wants to accepted. Poor lass. However, she encounters an easy going, relaxed and lazy kind of guy she admires for his attitude, and this show chronicles the hijinks. Again, I’m a sucker for a good romance, so I’m interested.
Odds of Watching: 80% chance of Sakura today
Only because I’m always on the lookout for WAFF Romance.
SO…MANY… cherry blossoms!
So, fourteen potentials. Again, I have about six-seven slots (if I’m not mistaken, all of them will be emptied too) so it’ll hotly contested as per usual. Anyway, hope the report is of some usage to you. Enjoy, and cya soon.
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Detarame 
The Late Late Midseason post
Posted in Anime, First Impressions, Games, Random, tagged Anime, Book of Bantorra, Commentary, Fairy Tail, Games, Hilarity, Letter Bee, Mindfuck, Nyan Koi!, Previews, Random, Reaching You, Romance, Scientific Railgun, Seiken no Blacksmith, Thoughts, Truth and Conflict on November 30, 2009| 3 Comments »
Urk, well its actually episode 9 territory right now, so my usual midseason post is…uh…two weeks late. Dang!
Oh well, you can put it down to either laziness or negligence if you want. Both are probably applicable, LOL.
Regardless, I’ll put one up anyways. Perhaps it’ll help you in picking up something you may have missed, perhaps?
The current inhabitants of my slots are:
Nyan Koi!
Kotone is actually pretty disturbing…LOL
Well, its definately a Harem Comedy. However, it has continued to impress me and make me laugh, and evidently takes a cue from things such as Akane Iro Somaru Saka since it manages to cover all of the cliches in a refreshing way. And, it does have a unique distinction: the main protagonist, Junpei, is definately 100% focused on Kaede, despite all the other girls pining for his attention, which is a rare and positive quality in the hero of an anime like this. I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but good, strong male leads REALLY make a good Harem Anime. They are the foundation on which the love polygon is built, after all, so if they’re an idiotic pervert/loser, the whole concept collapses unless you assume each girl is retarded. This even manages to have a good underlying subplot with the cats, too, though, adding to its quality.
Anyway, its going well, and assuming they don’t go for a undecided finish, it’ll probably be quite satifying.
A Certain Scientific Railgun
Kuroko finally got to show off a bit in this last episode, by telefragging a building using its OWN panes of glass. No really. ROFL.
Hmm, this floundered around a little bit to begin with (that is to say, around episode 2 and 3 was…odd), but pulled itself out of the mire and eventually got its act together with some plot. Unlike alot of people, I actually enjoyed Touma and his righteousness in Index (but then I see an ideal of myself in such characters, since I’m also a stubborn optimist).
Nevertheless, its surprising to hear how many people suddenly like his character now in this compared to before based on his interactions (i.e. fights) with Mikoto. The highlight of these was her creation of a frickin’ Chain Sword by magnetising iron filings in the sand around her. LOL. Nevertheless, the Imagine Breaker always beats her best efforts.
On other topics, Uiharu and Saten, the new girls still haven’t really shown their colours, leaving most of the smackdown to Mikoto and Kuroko whilst offering a primarily support role. Not that this is neccessarily bad, but I’m itching to see what their actual ESPer abilities are. We can assume Uiharu does something with growth or flowers, but Saten is pretty mysterious as another proper level zero. (However, the level upper plotline is building to a climax which may well show us something, I’d assume, even if I want to slap Saten for her stupidity in accepting the bait).
Kuroko… well I’d don’t know what to say about her. Her perversion regarding Mikoto just crosses so far over the line it goes right through disturbing and returns to being funny, I guess. Especially the whole headdesk incident at the resturant.
Letter Bee
Niche’s Sword Hair is awesome! Don’t mess with the MakaLoli!
I had some reservations about this to begin with since Lag’s incessant crying can and will grate even the most patient of observers. However, I guess, at some point, I just stopped noticing the tears and realised that actually, the plot on this is pretty meaty. I guess Niche’s introduction as inevitable inaugation as Lag’s ‘Dingo’ also helped tremendously, since she is such a simple minded but fascinating character.
I now get the feeling that Lag is actually a very strong character too. It may not fit the pre-concieved notion of being ‘manly’, but his ability to cry about stuff and move on without much hesitation in his stride is actually very admirable. He’s also demonstated that he can be a prodigy in the Tegami Bachi world too, able to shoot Shindan from his arms (not needing a gun like others) and realise what others need to attain closure.
This is also definately set up for the long haul (i.e. 26 episodes), which is nice. I hope it’ll continue to entertain me.
Kimi No Todoke
When Sawako forces a smile…something just doesn’t quite work, eh?
As noted before, I decided to drop 11 eyes in favour of this. And…I’m very glad I did.
Its just…well… I can’t find fault at all in it. Perfect comedic timing, just enough angst, an adorable (if dense) female lead, a strong (if selfish) male lead, excellent use of chibification to enhance scenes, and an amusing supporting cast. Its got everything one needs in a proper romantic comedy and since I’m a sucker for such things, I’m literally hoovering up every second of it.
I realise such things are hardly everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’d like a fine example of romance, look no further.
Fairy Tail
Scary Natsu is scary. Or something.
Interesting and exciting. Two terms that perfectly encapsulate what Fairy Tail is. In the same way that Kimi no Todoke can get me all swooning and fuzzy every time, I can barely watch ten minutes of this and NOT be grinning inanely from ear to ear like a hyper little boy. It may not dig deep, but it hits hard and you feel every punch.
One thing that is interesting to note is that you can almost ‘see’ the manga chapters behind this. There are very obvious mini-arcs and they don’t attempt to illustrate parts that the manga didn’t (with the whole ‘and then…’ moments), presumably to keep the show moving and action thick and fast. It works quite well, it has to be said, though it would be nice if they let you pause to catch you breath more often!
My only concern is Natsu’s propensity for overusing his small handful of FMV attacks. He really needs a bigger repotoire or more moments like the one from the most recent episode where he grabs onto a railbridge with a flaming hand.
Seiken no Blacksmith
Yes, at last, you realised your obvious character flaw, Cecily!
Somewhat like Letter Bee, this started with very little momentum. I was considering dropping it, in fact, because it was getting pretty retarded. Then, in a similar fashion to the aformentioned, it all started to click into place around episode 4. Aria appears, Cecily shouts her title less and stops getting beaten up as much, Luke being a jerk takes up less of an episode, Lisa gets some marginal development, etc.
Its never really gotten over some of its comical flaws, but I appreciate its courage in not even attempting to lampshade or handwave them away. And the above screenshot made me far more satisfied on whole with Cecily, too. Now, if only Luke will do something similar. He’s just an eyesore in my opinion at the moment, unfortunately, and we don’t even know why.
Book of Bantorra
Enlike brings new meanings to ‘Thunder Palm’. Or something.
I can’t actually ascertain why I’m still not pissed off with Bantorra. I somehow get the feeling that…well…its out of control whilst knowing exactly where its going, if that makes any sense.
I watch each episode in a vague sense of confusion, after all. Its like the anime version of the movie Memento…fragmented all over the place with only the viewer able to properly pick up the pieces. Something which is difficult given that it has no real appreciation for the 4th dimension, and from my perspective it felt a little like the first arc concluded too much in a rush only for it to crash headlong into the second.
So…I don’t know. I feel like I enjoy it, but it confuses me. It may well be that at the end, some amazing revelation will occur and everything will suddenly make sense and this will be the anime of season, or it may well be that it just ends up being a confusing pile of junk. Until we find out, I’m strangely interested, and at the very least its pretty. Yeah.
And there you go, midseason special over. Thats all for now, hope you had an enjoyable read and all that. I might be doing another Visual Novel Diary soon of Syarin no Kuji: Himiwari no Shoujo, which I just started playing on the side, so stay tuned, eh?
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