Winter 2011/12 Preview

Image from Safebooru
We're a little over halfway through the season, and it's time to start planning for the next one. For myself, there are only a handful of shows that I'm really excited about, but there's still plenty to keep anyone busy! As always, please keep in mind that the following comments are my own opinion based on the information available and that my thoughts are subject to change throughout the upcoming season. Please feel free to respectfully agree/disagree with my initial thoughts in the comments!


Kyousougiga
Genres: Supernatural
Synopsis: In a world where humans and spirits have been thrown together in chaos, three forces vie for power. Just what are the steadily increasing Reality Count and Collapse of Negentropy? Having escaped from the Labyrinth of the Jabberwock, the beautiful Koto pursues the shadow of the “Black Rabbit”. Set in a Kyoto where time stands still, the story of the various people who pursue the Black Rabbit unfolds.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I love shows/stories/movies/etc. that re-imagine fairy tales, and although Alice in Wonderland has already had more than its fair share of revisions, this thing looks awesome. Someone simulcast this. Please?


Recorder to Randoseru
Genres: School, Seinen
Synopsis: Miyagawa Atsushi is an 11-year-old boy. Since he is 180 centimeters tall and has a grown-up looking build, he has always been running into troubles. On the other hand, his 17-year-old elder sister Atsumi is only 137 centimeters tall and has a childish looking build. Atsumi takes good care of Atsushi, who acts his true age.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Too much cognative dissonance from the character designs. Pass, unless the blogosphere tells me that it's worth it.


Poyopoyo Kansatsu Nikki
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Seinen
Synopsis: A slice of life anime about the Sato family, who keeps a round shaped cat named "Poyo".
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: /inb4 Chi's Sweet Life comparisons. But hey, it's about a cute cat. If this gets a simulcast, I'm in.


Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou (Daily Lives of High School Boys)
Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
Synopsis: The original gag comedy manga follows the humorous yet "realistic" everyday life of Tadakuni, Hidenori, Yoshitake, and other students at a boys' high school.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Oh look, the episodes are only five minutes long. Might as well give it a shot, for comparison to Kimi to Boku.


Black★Rock Shooter
Genres: Action, Drama, School, Slice of Life
Synopsis: These young girls' hearts are pure, and then violent! Mato Kuroi just got into junior high school, and on the first day, someone catches her eye; her classmate Yomi Takanashi. The two meet. The innocent and naive Mato. The mature Yomi. Seemingly opposites, but the time they spend together only strengthens a growing friendship. But as they go into their second year at the school, they get placed in separate classes, and they begin to grow apart. But somewhere simultaneously... In another world, a young girl, blue fire residing in her eyes, Black Rock Shooter faces another young girl; this one holding a jet-black scythe, Dead Master, and a battle to the death begins to unfold. (Description from OVA).
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: While I did enjoy the OVA, I felt that it failed in connecting what was going on in the "real" world (school life dramu) to what was happening in the "other" world. Are they effectively their avatars? Do BRS and Dead Master have existences beyond acting as proxies for these girls? And what is this other world anyway? I've always felt that a sequel could easily clear up the problems with the OVA, and while I'm a little sad that the show is taking the same path the OVA did, it looks like things will be different enough to get some solid answers. Plus, the crew on this has quite the resume, so at the very least the fights will be spectacular.


Amagami SS+
Genres: Romance
Synopsis: Second season of Amagami SS.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I stopped watching the first season after Kaoru's arc because 1) it was awesome, and 2) I was not impressed by Haruka's arc and buzz around the internet said that future arcs would be more like hers. From what I heard after that, I'm glad that I didn't keep watching. I'm honestly not sure why this season exists other than a money grab, since I thought that everything was tied up pretty well. I may watch Kaoru's bit in this, but otherwise I'm not interested. *shrug*


Natsume Yuujinchou Shi
Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Shoujo, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Synopsis: Fourth season of Natsume Yuujinchou.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES--*dies in fangirl heaven*


Aquarion Evol
Genres: Action, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Mecha, Romance, Sci-Fi
Synopsis: The story will take place 12,000 years after the first Aquarion television series at a city modeled after Hong Kong. A new cast of characters, piloting a new Aquarion robot, will fight enemies from another dimension.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Did not see the original, and mecha tends to not be my thing. Pass.


New Prince of Tennis
Genres: Action, Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
Synopsis: In Japan an "All Star Team" is being formed, containing the 50 best tennis players from the entire country.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: The original is on my "to watch" list. I'll see this season at some point in the future.


Tantei Opera Milky Holmes 2
Genres: Comedy, Mystery, Super Power
Synopsis: Second season of Milky Holmes. Sheryl, Nero, Elly, and Cordelia are the most popular students at Holmes Detective Academy, because of the many cases they've solved with their Toys and teamwork. The students and the people of the Detective City Yokohama all look up to the members of "Milky Holmes", as they're called. But on a dark and stormy night, during a battle with their rivals "The Gentlemen Thief Empire", they lose their toys, and their fate undergoes a dramatic change...
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: The first season of this show surprised me with how funny it turned out to be. Hopefully its jokes will stay good enough to be the "turn your brain off and laugh" show of the season.


Zero no Tsukaima F
Genres: Adventure, Ecchi, Fantasy, Magic, Romance
Synopsis: The fourth and final season of the Zero no Tsukaima TV series.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Haven't seen the previous seasons, so I will not be watching.


High Score
Genres: Comedy, Shoujo
Synopsis: A school comedy with violent and blue jokes. Fujiwara Megumi is a beautiful high school girl but has a selfish and violent character. She has a boyfriend named Matsumoto Masamune, but she often goes around with other boys, who end up as victims due to her selfish behavior.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: It marked as shoujo, which means its at least getting a look from me. I dunno what they mean by "blue" jokes, though.


Moretsu Uchuu Kaizoku
Genres: Sci-Fi, Space
Synopsis: The story centers around a spirited high school girl named Marika. She keeps herself busy with the space yacht club and her part-time job at a high-class retro café. One day, two men suddenly appear and claim to be subordinates of her dead father. They demand that she assume command of the space pirate ship Benten Maru. A privateer ship's compact was made during a war of independence a century ago, and according to that compact, the ship must be inherited by the captain's next direct descendant. Marika finds herself embarking on a new life as a space pirate.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: It sounds like it could be interesting, but it could also easily become pandering. Will wait and see what others' opinions are.


Inu x Boku SS
Genres: Comedy, Mystery, Shounen, Supernatural
Synopsis: The Shirakiin house's daughter, Shirakiin Riricho, who has a complex about being unable to live independently and unprotected, feels the need to move out and live on her own under the condition of residing in the mansion named "Ayakashi Kan." In this mansion, only those who have cleared a very strict examination could reside in it, and for each resident, they are accompanied with one agent of the Secret Service (S.S.). Although Riricho has rejected the company of the S.S., while residing in the mansion she finds out that the agent dedicated to protecting her is actually the Fox Spirit whom she previously rescued.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I was only mildly interested in this until I saw the PV, and then became very interested. The animation studio doesn't have a lot under its belt, but I've liked everything they've put out so far. Definitely watching.


Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai!
Genres: Comedy
Synopsis: Segawa Yuta is a freshman of a university. He lost his parents when he was small and was raised by his sister Yuri. Yuta has been living alone since Yuri got married to a middle aged man when Yuta was a junior high student. One day, Yuri visited Yuta's apartment and asked him to take care of her three daughters while Yuri and her husband were on a trip. He unwillingly accepted the job but the plane Yuri took went missing. In order to prevent the daughters from being adopted separately by relatives, Yuta decided to take in all three girls. A life of a strange family in a tiny apartment begins. (The elder two of the daughters are stepchildren of Yuri's husband. The smallest one is Yuri's child.)
Thoughts/Wil I watch it?: ...I may watch if it stays solidly in the comedy department. The second there's a panty flash, I'm out.


Brave 10
Genres: Action, Adventure, Historical, Seinen
Synopsis: The story reimagines the legendary adventures of the 10 brave warriors assembled by the warlord Sanada Yukimura in the year 1600, in the middle of Japan's tumultuous Sengoku (Warring States) era.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Sounds interesting. I could use a good action series. It also helps that it's not "reimagined as boobalicious babes" for once.


Rinne no Lagrange
Genres: Comedy
Synopsis: Kyono Madoka is a 17-year-old girl, who loves her home town Kamogawa and likes to help people in trouble. She rides a robot called Woks in her jersey wear and fights against aliens.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I'm not sure what to make of this one. It's labeled as "comedy" yet seems to be trying to sell itself as a mecha anime. I might check it out just to clarify for myself.


Senhime Zesshou Symphogear
Genres: Action, Music, Supernatural
Synopsis: Humans have been menaced by mysterious monsters called "Designated Aberrant Disaster: Noise". Tsubasa and Kanade are a popular vocal unit "Twei Wing". They wear the new weapon "Symphogear" and fight against Noise to save the earth.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: /inb4 Macross ripoff. But it does seem to have some promise, even though when I think of Noise, I think of this.


Nisemonogatari
Genres: Comedy, Super Power, Harem
Synopsis: Sequel to Bakemonogatari. The black swindler Kaiki Deishu, who once deceived Hitagi, returns to town and spreads the incantation which cursed Nadeko before. Koyomi's sisters Karen and Tsukihi try to capture Deishu but...
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I haven't seen Bakemonogatari *dodges rotten tomatoes* so I won't be watching this.


Another
Genres: Mystery, Drama, Horror, School
Synopsis: 26 years ago, in a third-year classroom of a middle school, there was a student named Misaki. As an honors student who was also good at sports, the charming girl was popular with her classmates. When she suddenly died, her classmates decided to carry on as if she was still alive until graduation. Then, in the spring of 1998, a boy named Sakakibara Kouichi transfers to that classroom, and he grows suspicious of the fearful atmosphere in that classroom. In particular, there is a beautiful, aloof girl named Mei Misaki who wears an eyepatch and is always alone drawing pictures.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I was instantly intrigued by the plotline for this, so I'm pretty excited. And if anyone can make a creepy school setting work, it's P.A. Works.


Kill Me Baby
Genres: Comedy, School, Seinen
Synopsis: Kill Me Baby is a 4-panel style manga that follows the comedic life of a typical school girl Yasuna and her assassin classmate Sonya. Sonya’s attempt to fit in often fails when her natural assassin instincts kick in and Yasuna’s attempt to be more friendly with Sonya often gets her hurt or intimidated. Kill Me Baby’s cute sense of humor will keep you wanting more.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: Sounds like it knows exactly what it wants to deliver. That's enough for me to want to take a look.


Highschool DxD
Genres: Comedy, Demons, Ecchi, Romance, School
Synopsis: The story follows Issei Hyodo, a dim-witted, lecherous second-year high school student who is killed by a girl on his first date ever. Issei is reincarnated as a devil, and from that day forward, he serves as an underling of Riasu, a high-level devil who is also the prettiest girl on Issei's campus.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: ...Get out of my house.


Ano Natsu de Matteru
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Synopsis: A new original anime project by Onegai Teacher/Onegai Twins creator Kuroda Yousuke and Onegai franchise character designer Uon Taraku. The anime will be an adolescent romantic comedy. The three main characters are the two girls Ichika Takatsuki and Remon Yamano, and the boy Kaito Kirishima.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: I love romantic comedy, so I'm pretty excited about this one. Definitely watching.


Gokujou
Genres: Comedy, Ecchi, School, Shounen
Synopsis: Kuribayashi Minami returns to Japan after a long stay in Los Angeles. She enters an upper-class girl's high school "Gokurakuin Jyoshi High School", so called "Gokujyo". She tries to dominate the school with her beauty but her plan is spoiled by the silly and pervert behaviors of her eccentric classmates.
Thoughts/Will I watch it?: ...No.

Series information from MAL and Animucharts. Images from Google, MAL, Anime News Network and Safebooru.