Det känns så lyxigt när man kan sitta här och välja och vraka bland massvis med ny anime under loppet av några veckor. Men hur man än gör blir det där med att prioritera i slutet alltid lika svårt. Här följer i alla fall en sanningens rant for great justice.

Bortprioriterade

WHITE ALBUM

Ok, animationen såg väl halvbra ut men jag tänker ändå gå med i hatparaden nu och basunera ut en gång för alla; 80-talet är inte tillräckligt retro för att vara coolt! Det skaver i min själ att se alla modeminor trampas på igen. Hoppas förgäves få se denna bli taggat som “historisk” i alla animedatabaserna. POTENTIAL: 23%

KUROKAMI

Moar liek Kaze no Shana amirite?!! POTENTIAL: 18%

RIDE BACK

Det borde faktiskt inte vara så svårt att designa en snygg hybrid mellan en robot och en motorcykel och göra det snyggt, i alla fall inte för actionkåta japaner. Som man kunde förvänta sig av Madhouse såg visserligen animationen imponerande ut, men den skumma  mechdesignen bara snedtände totalt, och därmed tappar hela serien sitt värde. POTENTIAL: 31%

VIPER’S TITS CREED

HAHA OH LAWD Jag trodde inte det var lagligt att göra något såhär smaklöst? Och utan självdistans dessutom! CG action med motorcyklar och en kvävande stank av tidigt 90-tal. Jag menar.. Blassreiter satte väl ändå sista spiken i kistan?! POTENTIAL: 0,2%

SORA WO MIAGERU SHOUJO NO HITOMI NI UTSURU SEKAI

Vi är nog många som hade föredragit en andra säsong av Haruhi från KyoAni den här säsongen, och mitt intresse är sådär lagom svalt när det inte finns några roliga karaktärer eller ens bishies med i bilden. Tyvärr räknas varken tråksöta tjejer eller Yugi-kopior i röda läderbralls (that’s just tacky!) POTENTIAL: 37%

KEMONO NO SOUJA ERIN

Tack vare alla fucktards på TransAids blev det inte bättre än barnprogram. Close, but no cigar. POTENTIAL: 16%

Föll offer för koreansk patriotism!?

HETALIA AXIS POWERS

Skit, jag hade peppat så inför denna! Det här kommer lätt bli den sötaste och roligaste komedin under hela året, och det fanns till och med en svensk karaktär med på ett hörn! Men så måste några humorlösa koreaner komma och vara butthurt över nån jävla petitess. Nåväl, vi får hoppas att den görs tillgänglig för oss på andra vägar. POTENTIAL: 100% ・°・(ノД｀)・°・

Diskvalificerade

På grund av att jag aldrig såg hela de tidigare säsongerna så var det många uppföljare, exempelvis Shikabane Hime Kuro och Maria-sama ga Miteru, som aldrig var aktuella. Andra misslyckades helt med att övertyga oss om att ge dem en chans, som Akikan, Toki Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo, Asu no Yoichi!, Koukaku no Regios, och resten är redan glömt…

Så… Vad fick dig att RAGE’a? Vilka dissade du?

　 _ 　∩ 
(　ﾟ∀ﾟ)彡　Kommentera!
　⊂彡

So here it is, the winter 09 anime lineup, full of much-awaited sequels and promising premiers.

image by オニグンソウ on pixiv

Shikabane-hime Kuro – 01/01/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: “The title “Corpse Princess” belongs to Makina Hoshimura, an undead girl who seeks to hunt down 108 corpses in order to go to heaven.” (ANN-Shikabane-hime: Aka)

Extras + Opinion: Sequel to the Shikabane-hime: Aka. Don’t know what’s up with this one since I haven’t watched it nor am I planning to. Summary seems self explanatory. I’ll have a better story summary once its up in ANN or if I can find a better one somewhere.

Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season – 01/03/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: to be added. Basically its about girls in a prestigious school called Lillian Academy and their relationships with one another.

Extras + Opinion: Another sequel to a series, Maria-sama ga Miteru. All I see are girls, which makes me not want to watch it. The ads are very suspicious, though as I haven’t watched it, I can’t be sure. But if that’s your sort of thing, go right ahead.

Akikan! – 01/03/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: “Daichi Kakeru is a sixteen year-old high school student who has never had a girlfriend. Little did he know that everything was about to change when he bought a melon soda on his way home from school. His first sip became his first kiss, as the can came to life in the form of a beautiful girl, who he called ‘Melon’. The can is part of a government project called ‘Akikan’, where certain empty cans turn into beautiful girls.” (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: While the melon soda is interesting, I’m just utterly speechless at how stupid the government in this series sounds.

WHITE ALBUM – 01/03/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Tóya Fuji, a collage student is dating a rising idol singer named Yuki Morikawa. There are numerous chalanges to the couple’s relationship from the other people at Fuji’s collage, Morikawa’s work, and elsewhere. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: I haven’t read the manga so I don’t know the quality of the story. If its good, it can turn out something along the lines of Nana. If its bad, then well we got ourselves a trying-hard idol thingy. The quality of the animation isn’t all that amazing and after all those advertising images, it’s a disappointment.

Maria†Holic – 01/04/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: The story centers on a sophomore named Kanako who enrolls in all-girls school because she has a phobia of men and wants to find her destined yuri partner. She meets a captivating freshman named Mariya who fits her criteria — except her seemingly ideal mate happens to be a cross-dressing sadistic boy. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: The summary certainly got a laugh out of me, in a good way.

Minami ke Okaeri - 01/04/09  (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: “A year has passed since “Okawari” and the 3 sisters have grown up. Their likings and mods are almost the same, Haruka the older sister is a love-giving mother to the younger sisters, but she’s also a discipline follower, Kana the middle one leaves everything to the last possible moment and always gives trouble to this trio, and Chiaki the little one is the calculating and manipulating one, she likes to be admired and loved by Haruka and always gives trouble to the less blessed Kana. An unbalanced family, but appart of all that they love each other with their whole strength. This family’s daily life is as funny as ever, trouble and love is always present, now its time to see if they’ll survive this age change since Haruka now is a Young adult and she has now to watch over the younger while integrating to the adult life.” (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: That was probably the most detailed summary I found so far. Seems pretty decent a heart-warming, family drama.

Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou – 01/05/09  (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him. Containing the names of these spirits, a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now, Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits. (ANN- Natsume Yuujin-chou)

Extras + Opinions: OMG ITS HERE! Sequel to Natsume Yuujin-chou. It seems like the animation quality has gone up? Oh and the OP (by LONG SHOT PARTY) and ED (by Kourin) are amazing. I’m getting all giddy just thinking about this series. It’s sad that not many people like this sort of anime and some people compare it to xxxHOLIC, which it isn’t even close to. First of all, Natsume would never act like Watanuki. There’s seems to be a new character, which I presume to be a girl (?) that will probably become a regular judging from the OP and ED. GAH WATCH IT PEOPLE.

Sora o Kakeru Shoujo – 01/05/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: The story is set in the year 311 of the Orbital Calendar, when humanity has migrated to countless colony clusters in space. A space colony girl named Akiha Shishidō encounters a malevolent artificial intelligence named Leopard that has been installed on a colony. Akiha is joined by an Inter-Colony Police officer named Itsuki Kannagi, a taciturn young girl named Honoka Kawai, and a robot named Imoko “Imo-chan” Shishidō. (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: It’s probably inspired by The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Though the revealing costumes turns me off.

VIPER’S CREED – 01/06/09 (Official Site) (ANN)

Story: The story revolves around the members of a private military company (PMC), and the uneasy tension between them and the regular military after a war that caused massive environmental destruction. (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: If the images remind you of Appleseed that would be because one of the series’ creators is none other than Aramaki Shinji, the Appleseed movie director. This sounds like a more violent and seirious version of Library Wars. It’s quite heavy on the CGI though, as expected with the collaboration.

Hajime no Ippo New Challenger – 01/06/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Ippo Makunouchi continues his boxing career and his goal on knowing the meaning of being strong, and the desire on fighting his idol Ichiro Miyata once again. Along him are pro boxers Takamura, Aoki and Kimura that each one of them aspire to their own dreams. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: Sequel to Hajime no Ippo and adapted from a classic manga of the same name.

Asu no Yoichi – 01/08/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: The titular character Yoichi decides to leave his family’s mountainside home after his father tells him there is nothing more he can learn in martial arts there. The teenaged boy ends up in a martial arts dojo in the city with four girls. (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: Harem basically

The Tower of Druaga ~ The Swords of Uruk~ – 01/08/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Jill embarks on a quest with his companions for a fabled and powerful artifact rumored to be in the highest floor of the Tower of Druaga. However, other competitors, including the kingdom of Uruk itself, want the treasure for their own reasons. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: A sequel to The Aegis of Uruk. I watched a couple episodes of the first season but stopped since I couldn’t handle the comedy. For me it was just a bad mix of trying to be funny and trying to be serious about the mission.

Kurokami the Animation – 01/08/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: In this world, there are three identical looking people in existence who split between them an energy-like force called “Terra.” This energy can be attributed to the amount of “Luck” or “Life Energy” that an individual possesses. There also exists beings who observe the human world, maintaining the balance of Terra, known as the “Coexistence Equilibrium.” These beings possess ability that surpass that of a normal human being and reside in hiding in places known as the “Pure Place” in tribes. They are called the Terra Guardians. This is a tale of battle that begins with a chance meeting between a human boy named Keita and a young Tera Guardian girl named Kuro. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: Adapted from the manga of the same name. I’m actually quite interested in this. I read a couple of chapters of the manga and it was action-packed. The plot is detailed enough to enjoy and is quite refreshing.

Birdy the Might DECODE:02 – 01/09/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Tsutomu Senkawa is an average high school kid who is busy studying for his senior entrance exams. Tsutomu goes out for some fresh air, after a hard day’s work studying for a big test, when he runs into a guy fleeing from a pretty young lady. The pursued man is actually an interplanetary criminal on the run from a Federation agent called Birdy Cephon Altera. Caught in the midst of this chase, Tsutomu gets thrown by the man at Birdy, which kills Tsutomu. Fortunately for Tsutomu, there is a way to keep him alive, although it comes at the price of discarding his body. He ends up merged into Birdy’s body. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: I didn’t watch the first season so I won’t be watching this sequel but it was fairly popular when it came out so I’m thinking it’s atleast a bit good?

Major 5th Season – 01/10/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Shigeharu Honda is a Major Leauge batter on the rise. His son Goro is a Little League pitcher who one day hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps. Momoko Hoshino is Goro’s schoolteacher, and the first woman Shigeharu has been interested in since the death of Goro’s mother. The destines of these three individuals will become intertwined as father and son experience both heartbreak and triumph on the baseball diamond. But when an unspeakable tragedy visits the family, it will take everything they have to pick up the pieces and reclaim their dreams. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: Another sequel. This is coming from a long running classic manga. It’s quite good. I enjoyed reading it since I tend to like sports related mangas, especially about baseball. So if you like sports anime, here’s your slice for winter.

Kemono no Souja Erin – 01/10/09 (Official Site) (ANN)

Story: Kemono no Sōja Erin (The Beast Player Erin) will center around a girl who can control the greatest of beasts as if she was playing a musical instrument. However, she gets embroiled in a war for supremacy between kingdoms. (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: Well this hit me. The story is by author Uehashi Nahoko, Seirei no Moribito‘s creator. That pretty much made me want to watch this. It’s going to be done by Production I.G. and Transarts and a couple of well known anime staff (not seiyuu wise) will be working on it. As Seirei no Moribito was just OMFG quality and floored me, I want to have lots of expectation from this. However, its airing in NHK, which mostly has kiddie shows with a few hit shows here and there and the disappointing animation quality, I just don’t know what to expect.

Koukaku no Regios – 01/10/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: In this school fantasy story set in the distant future, creatures contaminated by pollution have overtaken the land, forcing humanity to live in isolated mobile cities called Regios. One such city named Czerni is a self-contained school in which freshman Reifon Aruseifu has just enrolled. Reifon reluctantly joins the 17th Martial Arts Studies Unit led by the third-year student Nina Antōku and embarks on a series of adventures. (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: The plot actually sounds quite interesting. Though it has a bit of a cliche feeling to it, I’m willing to try it out. Based on the trailers, it looks very action packed while having a romance side to it. I’m suspicious about that. To me, it takes a lot for a show to succeed in the action category if it has to cater to the romance audience. Looks amazing though.

RIDEBACK – 01/11/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: Ride Back tells the story of a girl a her “Iron Horse” robot motorcycle in 2020, a tumultous time of anti-goverment student protests. (ANN)

Extras + Opinions: Summary’s not enough for me to judge the series. All I know is that there’s heavy CGI involvement with respect to the motorcycles.

Slayers EVOLUTION R – 01/12/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: to be added

Extras + Opinions: Sequel to the sequel of Slayers.

Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai – 01/13/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: The original fantasy anime centered on a seemingly ordinary girl named Yumemi who can see a magical world in the skies above our world, and the king named Munto who must find Yumemi to save his own world.  (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: Okay WHOA. Who ever said that the Munto OVAs will get a TV series >_>. WILL DEFINATELY WATCH. Munto was one of those series that never got popular because the movies weren’t that good. They were short, very clipped, not well developed, and simply shoujo-ic. Though I always thought that maybe, JUST MAYBE, if Munto series got a longer timespan to tell its story, then it would be gorgeous. And maybe then perhaps we will finally know the relationship between Munto and Yumemi. Though of course that may be just my imagination wishing. WE SHALL SEE.

Genji Monogatari Sennenki – 01/15/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki) <– wiki site on tale of genji background

Story: *go research The Tale of Genji, its too detailed and complicated to summarize here” Basically its about a motherless-son of a Japanese emperor and much of the story tells about his romantic life.

Extras + Opinions: It’s about time we get a Tale of Genji anime. I mean, it is one of the oldest stories of history. Apparently the anime’s creation is done to celebrate the 1000th year anniversary of the book, despite the fact no one knows the exact time it finished. Should be an intriguing romance series.

Hetalia Axis Powers – 01/24/09 (Official Site) (ANN) (Wiki)

Story: The “cynical gag” story mainly recounts the era between World War I and World War II, with the stereotypical characteristics of each country or region (particularly northern Italy) anthropomorphized as bishounen. For example, Italia Veneziano is into pasta and women. Deutsch (Germany) loves potatoes and sausages, and Nippon is an otaku boy.  (ANN News)

Extras + Opinions: I think this is one of the most anticipated anime series or atleast a lot of people are expecting. I’ve seen a few of the comic strips and I must say that they’re quite educational. The sterotyping is hilarious. The animation quality is jumping back and forth from regular anime style to a more comic-style. However, due to the controversy and whatnot, its only available through cell distribution.

Opening de Viper’s Creed

Ending de Viper’s Creed

Opening de Hajime no Ippo – New Challenger

Ending de Hajime no Ippo – New Challenger

Shikabane Hime: Kuro

Information

Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 3, 2009 to ?

Producers: Studio DEEN

Genres: Slice of Life, Shoujo Ai, Shoujo, School

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Akikan!

Synopsis

The story revolves around a typical high school boy named Kakeru Daichi and the can of melon juice soda that he bought from a vending machine. The can suddenly transforms into a beautiful but standoffish girl that Kakeru nicknames “Melon,” and more “Akikan” (“empty can”) girls appear. However, Akikan girls need to be infused with carbon dioxide from kissing to survive.
- ANN

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 3, 2009 to Mar 21, 2009

Producers: Brains Base

Genres: Shounen, Romance, Comedy

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older

White Album

Synopsis

Adapted from the Leaf eroge.

The White Album game centers around Tōya Fujī, a college student dating a rising idol singer named Yuki Morikawa. The game deals with the challenges to the couple’s relationship from the other people at Fujī’s college, Morikawa’s work, and elsewhere. (ANN)

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 3, 2009 to ?

Producers: Seven Arcs

Genres: Romance, Music, Drama

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Minami-ke Okaeri

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 4, 2009 to ?

Producers: asread

Genres: Slice of Life, Comedy

Duration: Unknown

Rating: None

Maria†Holic

Synopsis

The story centers on a sophomore named Kanako who enrolls in all-girls school because she has a phobia of men and wants to find her destined yuri partner. She meets a captivating freshman named Mariya who fits her criteria — except her seemingly ideal mate happens to be a cross-dressing sadistic boy.
(Source: ANN)

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 4, 2009 to ?

Producers: SHAFT, GENCO

Genres: Romance, Comedy

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou

Synopsis

The November issue (on sale on September 24) of Hakusensha’s LaLa magazine will reportedly announce that the second anime season based on Yuki Midorikawa’s Natsume Yūjin-Chō shōjo ghost-story manga will premiere on January on Japan’s TV Tokyo station. The first anime season is scheduled to end next Monday. The new season will showcase more characters from the manga such as Kuro-Nyanko-sensei, Gen, and Tama-chan.

The story revolves around Natsume, a boy who has been able to see ghosts since he was little. Unfortunately, humans shun him, and there is not much fondness between him and ghosts either. One day, he inherits a Yūjin-Chō (“Book of Friends”) from his grandmother. The book is actually full of contracts that his grandmother made to trap ghosts. As one ghost after another shows up, Natsume tries to release or help them — even while many of them seek vengeance on him. – ANN

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 5, 2009 to ?

Producers: Brains Base

Genres: Supernatural

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Viper’s Creed

Synopsis

The story revolves around the members of a private military company (PMC), and the uneasy tension between them and the regular military after a war that caused massive environmental destruction.
(Source: Animekon)

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 6, 2009 to ?

Producers: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Genres: Action, Military, Sci-Fi

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo

Synopsis

The veteran anime studio Sunrise has opened a teaser site for a new project called Sora o Kakeru Shōjo [Sora Kake Girl or "The Girl Who Leapt Through Space (the Heavens)"]. The site provides no other information besides a promise that more details will be given in October 10. On that day, the official homepage will open, and there will be coverage in Kadokawa Shoten’s Newtype, Tokuma Shoten’s Animage, and Gakken Kenkyūsha’s Animedia magazines. The project’s title is an apparent wordplay on Toki o Kakeru Shōjo or The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Yasutaka Tsutsui’s classic novel that was adapted into several live-action television series, live-action films, manga, and an acclaimed anime film. – ANN

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 5, 2009 to ?

Producers: Sunrise

Genres: Adventure

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 6, 2009 to ?

Producers: Madhouse Studios

Genres: Sports, Shounen, Drama, Comedy

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older

Asu no Yoichi!

Synopsis

The titular character Yoichi decides to leave his family’s mountainside home after his father tells him there is nothing more he can learn in martial arts there. The teenaged boy ends up in a martial arts dojo in the city with four girls.

Taken from ANN

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 8, 2009 to ?

Producers: AIC

Genres: Romance, Comedy

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Tower of Druaga – the Sword of Uruk

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 8, 2009 to ?

Producers: Gonzo

Genres: Adventure

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older

Kurokami

Synopsis

Keita Ibuki is an independent and struggling freelance computer programmer who had a chance meeting on one night with a high Mototsumitama named Kuro. He gives her his dinner, a bowl of ramen, and tries to protect her when she is attacked in an ambush by an unknown Mototsumitama. Keita loses his entire left arm during the fight between the Mototsumitamas, but Kuro was able to save his life by exchanging the decapitated arm with her own left arm since she has enhanced healing abilities like all Mototsumitamas. This creates a contract between them, which makes her more powerful than before. However, Kuro warns Keita that they need to be together all the time in order to be at their strongest.

Source: Crunchyroll

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 8, 2009 to ?

Producers: Sunrise, Bandai Entertainment

Genres: No genres have been added yet.

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: R – 17+ (violence & profanity)

Tetsuwan Birdy Decode 2nd Season

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 9, 2009 to ?

Producers: A-1 Pictures Inc.

Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: PG-13 – Teens 13 or older

Kemono no Souja Erin

Synopsis

According to NHK web site, Uehashi Nahoko’s (the author of “Seirei no Moribito”) novel “Kemono no Soujya” will be animated. It will be aired from January 10th 2009.

Director: Hamana Takayuki (“Toshokan Sensou”, “Wellber no Monogatari: Sisters of Wellber”)
Character Designer: Goto Takayuki (“Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex”, “Seirei no Moribito”)
Series Organizer: Fujisaku Jun-ichi (“Blood+”, “Real Drive”)
Production Company: Production I.G.
Series length: 50 episodes

Source: MAL News

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 50

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 10, 2009 to ?

Producers: Production I.G, Trans Arts

Genres: Fantasy

Duration: 25 min. per episode

Rating: None

Kokaku no Regios

Synopsis

Based on the Chrome Shelled Regios light novel series.

In this school fantasy story set in the distant future, creatures contaminated by pollution have overtaken the land, forcing humanity to live in isolated mobile cities called Regios. One such city named Czerni is a self-contained school in which freshman Reifon Aruseifu has just enrolled. Reifon reluctantly joins the 17th Martial Arts Studies Unit led by the third-year student Nina Antōku and embarks on a series of adventures. (from ANN)

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: Unknown

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 10, 2009 to ?

Producers: ZEXCS

Genres: Sci-Fi, School, Fantasy, Adventure

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Ride Back

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 11, 2009 to ?

Producers: Madhouse Studios

Genres: Sci-Fi, School, Mecha

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Slayers Evolution-R

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 13

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 12, 2009 to ?

Producers: J.C. Staff

Genres: Fantasy, Comedy, Adventure

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

Genji Mongatari Sennenki Genji

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 11

Status: Not yet aired

Aired: Jan 15, 2009 to ?

Producers: None found, add some.

Genres: Shoujo, Romance, Historical, Drama

Duration: 20 min. per episode

Rating: None

To be continued later…..

So this post is simple: I’m going to talk about which winter season shows I’ll be following (and, therefore, about which you might see posts in the future). Albeit seemingly not as mind-blowingly awesome as the season before it, Winter 2009 still gives us a few interesting options with which to occupy our free time.

What I’m watching: Asu no Yoichi! (Or is it Ashita no Yoichi?)

What it’s about: Based on the manga of the same name (imagine that), this harem romance chronicles the adventures of a young, sheltered swordsman in a house full of girls. I think they’re all sisters, too, or at least they’re all related. Imagine the possibilities…no, actually, don’t.

What I expect: Not much. Maybe I should read some of the manga first and get a feel for it, but, either way, no harem comedy has appealed to me as much as Love Hina since…well, Love Hina. But I place a lot of (perhaps undue) faith in the harem as a narrative device, and not necessarily because of the associated escapism. Harems can be used to do a lot of things; they can comment on anime in general, or on the plight of shows relegated to mediocrity even before they’re made, and they always have the potential to be hilarious, given good writing. I’m willing to forgive quite a bit in shows where humor levels are high, so if Asu no Yoichi! makes me laugh, I won’t drop it outright.

What I’m watching: Kurokami

What it’s about: A game programmer finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, and promptly loses an arm, at which point a girl who comes across as a Shana impersonator in most of the art I’ve seen saves the unfortunate everynerd (that’s like an everyman, but…you know), heals his wound, and presumably reveals to him that the world is far more sinister than it seems. Normal anime stuff, in other words.

What I expect: Shakugan no Shana. In an interesting twist, this doesn’t seem to be high school-centric; MAL describes the leading male as “a struggling video game programmer,” but there’s no mention of him being a student. In that case, whatever shall our characters do during the day (in before “program games”)? How will the animators set up their awkward love triangles? What obstacles will they use to thwart the practically inevitable romance inherent in this kind of story? They may actually have to be quite creative. I wish them luck.

The bottom line is, shounen action/magical girlfriend shows are as much guilty pleasures of mine as harem romances. But don’t doubt that I’ll still be able to find undercurrents of Milton or T. S. Eliot or God knows who else.

What I’m watching: Genji Monogatari Sennenki Genji

What it’s about: The Tale of Genji, which in turn is about a Heian era prince’s adventures in high society and his various romantic pursuits.

What I expect: I really don’t know, but, as this show is based on a very old novel (which I haven’t actually read), it’s hard for me to resist. Interestingly, it’s described on MAL as shoujo; I wonder if readers a thousand or so years ago would’ve placed the novel in a similar category. It does seem to be the medieval Japanese equivalent of a Jane Austen novel, and I’m not sure how that makes me feel about the whole thing. In any case, this one could really go either way, I figure; it can’t be easy to adapt Genji into animated form.

What I’m watching: Kemono no Souja Erin

What it’s about: This fantasy show, based on a novel by the author of Seirei no Moribito, centers on a girl who is remarkably good with animals. Surely, her powers will put her in a position to rescue the kingdom/world/whatever.

What I expect: I’ve never seen Seirei no Moribito’s anime rendition, and I’ve never read anything by Nahoko Uehashi, so I’m not primed to expect anything of this show. With that said, I really want this show to be good. Fantasy anime that really grabs me is scant, and besides, too few fantasy heroines are gifted veterinarians. Give me Ged Senki with a stronger plot, and I’ll be satisfied.

What I’m watching: Koukaku no Regios

What it’s about: This seems to be the kind of story in which humans can suddenly use magic in the distant future, rendering it yet another of those fantasy/sci-fi hybrids we anime fans have come to know and (occasionally) love. Thanks to pollution, humans are forced to live in mobile cities (the titular Regios), and the central characters are — you guessed it — combat-trained high-schoolers with a penchant for adventure.

What I expect: I don’t think I’m going to like this, but the idea of using mobile cities to flee from the dangers of a ruined world seems interesting. I’ll give it a chance, anyway, but if its dialogue ends up as bad as To Aru Majutsu no Index’s, Regios is getting the boot.

What I’m watching: Maria†Holic

What it’s about: I’ll just quote the MAL page here, which in turn quotes Anime News Network: “The story centers on a sophomore named Kanako who enrolls in all-girls school because she has a phobia of men and wants to find her destined yuri partner. She meets a captivating freshman named Mariya who fits her criteria — except her seemingly ideal mate happens to be a cross-dressing sadistic boy.” I could not make this up if I tried (which saddens me a little, actually).

What I expect: Concentrated awesome. I mean, let me run you through that again: a girl attends a school for girls specifically because she wants to find someone with whom to have lesbian relations, and, at the cruel behest of fate, ends up dating a “sadistic” transvestite, which would be mentally scarring enough even without her irrational fear of men. And it’s being produced in part by SHAFT! How could this possibly fail? I’m going into mourning if it does.

What I’m watching: Queen’s Blade, though I’m a little reluctant to admit it.

What it’s about: Well, on the surface, it seems to be the innocent tale of a murderous competition between women aimed at determining who will occupy the throne. But it’s based on a game that’s basically porn, not to mention that ARMS, one of the studios involved, has worked on rather colorful hentai in the past. Will this show be Ikkitousen in a medieval fantasy world? I don’t suppose it’s particularly difficult to make an educated guess about that.

What I expect: It’ll probably be pretty awful, but I’m morbidly curious. And, honestly, I want to see just how far the Japanese TV censors will let the animators go with this. They do, after all, have a comedian named Hard Gay who travels around Japan in leather bondage clothes pelvic-thrusting small children; a little animated porn on late-night TV can’t make things much worse.

What I’m watching: Ride Back

What it’s about: In 2020, a girl rides a motorcycle that can turn into a humanoid robot (is it still mecha if you can’t pilot it while it’s humanoid?). 2020 also happens to feature “anti-government student protests,” as MAL terms it. What happens when you give pissed-off students access to motorcycle robots? Let’s find out.

What I expect: Lots of anti-government student protests, hopefully, as that’s what grabbed my interest about this show in the first place. I always like to see how politics affect the commoners, and how the commoners subsequently break windows and set shit on fire. I guess it’s remotely possible that this show will adopt a Chobitsian existential angle and deal with the humanity of artificial intelligence, but I’m inclined to doubt it.

What I’m watching: Viper’s Creed

What it’s about: Following a destructive war (not that there’s really any other kind of war, save perhaps the cold variety), a private military company and a governmental army find themselves at odds. Damn mercenaries.

What I expect: There seems to be a refreshing lack of moe art in this show — not that I don’t like moe, but a little variety in anime is nice. Really, I’m only watching this show because I’m remotely interested in the dynamic between PMCs, state-sponsored military forces, and civilians. On that note, Viper’s Creed earns extra points if it takes place wholly or partially in Iraq.

Anime Winter Season 08-09 (December, January, February)

January

Afro Samurai: Resurrection (movie?)
Akikan!
Asakiyumemishi – The Tale of Genji
Asu no Yoichi
Birdy the Mighty DECODE:02
Chrome Shelled Regios
Hajime no Ippo New Series
Kemono no Soja Erin
Konnichiwa Anne
Kurokami
Major (5th Season)
MARIA†HOLIC
Maria-sama ga Miteru 4
Queen’s Blade
Ride Back
Shikabane Hime: Kuro (I believe Kuro and Gen is the same series, just different kanji pronounciations)
Slayers EVOLUTION-R
The Tower of DRUAGA ~the Sword of URUK~
Viper’s Creed
White Album
Z Mazinger
Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou

February

Precure New Series

You shall know that not all the above titles are definitely correct. I don’t know more than this is what Anime News Network or other sources currently call them.