Fall 2012 Season Preview--GET HYPE

Picture from Drawr.net.
This blog was lacking in Pokemon images. Anyway, I'm really excited for this season, especially for a few shows. The summer season was fun, but I'm ready for some new stuff.

Disclaimer: The following is my personal (and embellished) opinion based on the information available and is subject to change throughout the upcoming season. None of the opinions expressed are directed at any individual. You are welcome to express your opinion in the comments section, but anything overwhelming negative (name calling, abusive trolling, etc.) will be deleted.

This preview does not include: upcoming movies, OVAs, special episodes, sequels to shows that I have not seen the first season of (when seeing the first season is necessary to understand the plot), "kids" shows that I do not intend to watch, shows where there is little to no information available, re-releases, and shows intended to be shown on mobile platforms in Japan (such as cell phones).

Overall, please respect others' opinions and feel free to share what you're excited about in the comments below!

Kamisama Kiss
Genres: Comedy, Demons, Fantasy, Shoujo, Supernatural
Synopsis: Nanami Momozono is alone and homeless after her dad skips town to evade his gambling debts and the debt collectors kick her out of her apartment. So when a man she's just saved from a dog offers her his home, she jumps at the opportunity. But it turns out that his place is a shrine, and Nanami has unwittingly taken over his job as a local deity! Nanami has all kinda of new responsibilities she doesn't understand, dangers she's unaware of, and a cranky ex-familiar who's...actually pretty hot. What's a new-fledged godling to do?
Personal Hype Level: Pretty high. The director of Fruits Basket is attached to this, and I haven't watched a decent shoujo in a while. Fruits Basket was one of the first anime series that I watched all the way through, and it'll be wonderful if this show ends up having the same impact on shoujo fandom. However, I'm not expecting it to be that big. If this show can deliver something entertaining, then I'm good.


Ixion Saga DT
Genres: Action, Fantasy
Synopsis:The story follows Kon Hokaze, a boy who embarks on a journey from our world to an alternate world known as Mira, which is full a mysterious energy known as Alma. After saving Princess Ecarlate from attackers, he soon finds himself in the middle of a struggle around Alma.
Personal Hype Level: Unknown. The director of Gintama, School Rumble, and Daily Lives of High School Boys is...adapting a video game? If this is a comedy, then I'm all in because this guy knows his comedy.


Magi
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Synopsis: This story is about the flow of fate and the battle to keep the world on the right path. Aladdin is a boy who has set out to explore the world after being trapped in a room for most of his life. His best friend is a flute with a djinn in it named Ugo. Soon enough, Aladdin discovers he is a Magi, a magician who chooses kings, and he was born to choose kings who will follow the righteous path, battling against those who want to destroy fate. Follow his adventures as he meets others from 1000 Arabian Nights, like Ali Baba and Sinbad, and fights to keep the balance of world in check!
Personal Hype Level: Somewhere past Pluto. For once, I get to be a manga fan gushing about an adaptation. I'm not big on shounen manga series, but this is the sole exception. There's a ton of source material to draw from already as well as amazing characters and fluid fight scenes that should look great animated. Basically, this is the kind of adaptation that's going to be pretty hard to screw up. Is there an official air date yet?


Robotics;Notes
Genres: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: 2019, Divergence Ratio 1.048596. The near future, where a device popularly called the PokeCom, packaged with PhoneDroid OS, spreads, bringing the Augmented Reality world close to existence. Chuuoutanegashima High School's Robot Research Club is in danger of losing its club status. Kaito Yashio, one of only two members, is only obsessed with robot fighting games, showing no interest in the Robo Club even in this situation. The reckless, useless club head, Akiho Senomiya, aims to complete a giant robot, struggling hard to avoid losing the club's status. Then, one day, Kaito discovers the A.R. annotation that becomes the Kimishima Report. Written in that report is the indictment of someone named Kou Kimishima's conspiracy involving the world.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. I want to be excited about this; it shares a lot of staff with it's wildly successful sibling, Steins;Gate. But lets keep in mind that this series was created by the same people who made Chaos;Head and Togainu no Chi, which were...less successful. Even having Production I.G. in charge of the animation is only a guarantee of nice visuals. The VN has only been out for a little while... Those of us on this side of fandom have no idea what we're getting into. I'm excited, but I'm keeping it in check. Hopefully this show will also hit it right out of the park.


Psycho-Pass
Genres: Drama
Synopsis: The series takes place in the near future, when it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. This information is recorded and processed, and the term "Psycho-Pass" refers to a standard used to measure an individual's being. The story centers around the "enforcement officer" Shinya Kougami, who is tasked with managing crime in such a world.
Personal Hype Level: Either "Meh" or "Through the roof." Why? Nothing about the promotional stuff for this anime has grabbed me so far, despite being a Noitamina anime, but rumor has it that this is the show Urobuchi Gen is working on this season. Yes, that guy. If so, this could quickly become one of the more popular and/or engaging titles of the season. Also, did Noitamina sell their souls to Production I.G. when we weren't looking?


Busou Shinki
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Synopsis: The slice-of-life battle story is set in a future that has neither World War III nor an alien invasion — just an ordinary future set after our current age. In this world, robots are part of everyday life, and they contribute in various aspects of society. "Shinki" are 15-centimeter-tall (about 6-inch-tall) cute partners made to assist humans. Equipped with intelligence and emotions, they devote themselves to serving their "Masters." These Shinki can even be equipped with weapons and armor to fight each other. Such Shinki are named "Busou Shinki" (literally, "armed divine princesses"). In particular, the Shinki Ann (Arnval), Aines (Altines), and Rane (Altrane) serve a high school freshman named Masato. Things change when a new Shinki, the bellicose Staarf, joins them.
Personal Hype Level: Low. This one's a bit of an odd bird; Shinkis are a real life line of figures that justify their high price points by being chock full of accessories and are known for their amazing articulation. These figures got an ONA last year, which must've done well enough to merit a TV show. I didn't watch it, so I can't really say. The PV reminds me a lot of Angelic Layer but with CGI. Since I'm not a fan of the figure line (I don't like the obvious joints), I'll probably just ignore this...


Hayate the Combat Butler! Can't Take My Eyes Off You
Genres: Comedy, Parody, Shounen, Harem
Synopsis: Rather than a continuation of the previously animated Hayate no Gotoku seasons, this series will be independent and written by the author, Kenjiro Hata, himself.
Personal Hype Level: Unknown. I'm not really sure what to make of this. Why is it starting completely over? I was under the impression that this was strictly a comedy series. Is the story so important that they can't trust adaptations anymore and have to give it back to the original author? I'm not part of the fandom so I wouldn't know, but I never made it through the first season so I don't know if I want to watch all that again.


The Monster Next Door (Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun)
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo
Synopsis: Mizutani Shizuku is the type of person who only cares for her own grades. But when she accidentally delivers lesson notes to Yoshida Haru, he becomes convinced they are friends. Haru turns out to have a very innocent personality, but who would've thought that Haru would actually confess to Shizuku? A cold-hearted girl and super-troublemaker romance with a fresh new perspective.
Personal Hype Level: Pretty high. I'm not familiar with this series, but since this adaptation was announced, I've only heard praise for this series from shoujo fans. Shoujo fandom is pretty consistent when it comes to picking out good series and dismissing the duds, so I'm confident about this one. Add the director of Kimi ni Todoke and the guy who did the series composition for Durarara! as well as some scripts for Baccano! and Natsume Yuujinchou, and it looks like we've got a winner. Also, the PV is one of the most unique I've ever seen.


Say I Love You (Sukitte Iinayo)
Genres: Romance, School, Shoujo
Synopsis: Mei Tachibana has spent her 16 years without a boyfriend or friends. One day, she injures the most popular boy in school, Yamato Kurosawa, due to a misunderstanding. For some reason though, it seems that he takes a liking to her and one-sidedly claims that they're friends. Furthermore, he not only protects Mei from a stalker, but does so with a kiss…?!!
Personal Hype Level: Moderate but leaning towards low. I'm happy about all the shoujo that's being adapted this season, but this show doesn't seem to have as much going for it as the other two do. The director worked on Steins;Gate and some episode scripts for my beloved Princess Tutu, but word on the street is that some parts of the manga are...troubling. Looking at the mangaka's works, she seems to trend towards the darker side of the shoujo genre, the one that embraces stalking and rape as plot points. I could be wrong in that assumption, but when you look at where she's been serialized...I'm not sure about this. It's also being adapted by ZEXCS, which is a nearly ironclad promise of exploitation. I just don't know...


Little Busters
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School
Synopsis: Riki was a child when his parents died, leaving him hopeless and depressed. What saved him was a group of four kids calling themselves the Little Busters. They took Riki out and played with him during his time of need. He really enjoyed being together with them, and his grief gradually faded away. Now in his second year of high school they still hang out, fight and live together, and enjoy their school life.
Personal Hype Level: High, but with reservations. This is your moment, J.C. Staff. Time to prove that you can adapt something without cutting corners and screwing up plotlines! I have faith in you. ...On a more serious note, the only Key adaptation that got to me was Clannad (and no, I'm not sorry). Air was okay, but I liked the movie better, and Kanon did nothing for me. However, I'm still willing to give this one a shot. I'm expecting to be reduced to a sobbing mess by this anime, and I'll accept nothing less.


Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! (She has Chuunibyou, but I Want to Love Her!)
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School
Synopsis: Yuuta Togashi suffered from chuunibyou while he was in middle school. When he graduated, he put that dark history behind him and forgot about it... or he was supposed to. High school was smooth sailing and full of enjoyment - until the unavoidable, sad event occurs. The event that locks Yuuta into a contract with Rikka Takanashi and disrupts his desperately ordinary life.
Personal Hype Level: High. Oh look, it's That Show with That Untranslatable Buzzword. You know that guy at your middle/high school who thinks he's Naruto? The one that's not messing around, but actually believes that he's Naruto? Apparently that's a close approximation of what "chuunibyou" is, and with the PVs animating the powers of this girl like they're real, I'm already laughing. P.A. Works is bringing out the gorgeous visuals as always, and the director also was responsible for Nichijou as well as all the other Key adaptations. ...Why isn't this guy working on Little Busters? Anyway, this show looks fun, and I'm looking forward to it.


Student Council's Discretion 2 (Seitokai no Ichizon 2)
Genres: Comedy, Parody, School, Shounen, Harem
Synopsis: The members of the student council of Hekiyou Gakuen are chosen by a popularity vote. As a result, all the members are cute girls except for Sugisaki Ken, who studied hard to enter the council. (First season synopsis)
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. I marathoned the first season a while back, and while it's nothing to write home about, it's entertaining in its own way. It knows it's an otaku humor show and doesn't try to force itself into anything else. I'm interested in seeing if it's just as funny with week-to-week viewing as it was all at once in the marathon.


Zetsuen no Tempest
Genres: Action, Mystery, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen, Psychological
Synopsis: The story revolves around Mahiro Fuwa, a teenager whose family was mysteriously murdered one year before and his friend Yoshino Takigawa. Mahiro is contacted by Hakase Kusaribe, the leader of the Kusaribe clan who was left stranded on an unknown desert island by her followers, and agrees to help Hakase in exchange of her help to find out the culprit for the death of his family. Upon learining of his friend's intentions, Yoshino joins him on his quest to stand against the Kusaribe clan who intends to awake the "Tree of Zetsuen" whose power can bring ruin to the entire world.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. Hi, No. 6 clone. Could you please leave the deus ex machina giant moth bee at home this time? I really liked that show before that happened, and it ruined the whole thing for me. You seem like you could be quite the competent show, with your director having a long history of working with Bones. Just don't get too caught up in yourself when you try to be "deep" and "symbolic," okay? Okay.


Haitai Nanafa
Genres: None listed... I'm going to guess Comedy and Supernatural.
Synopsis: Nanafa Kyan lives in Okinawa with her grandmother who runs the "Kame Soba" soba shop, her beautiful older sister Nao who is in high school, and her younger sister Kokona, who is in elementary school and has a strong ability to sense the supernatural. One day, Nanafa witnesses a seal fall off of a Chinese banyan tree, and three spirits who live in that tree are unleashed. These spirits include Niina and Raana, who are "jimunaa" spirits. The third spirit is Iina, who is an incarnation of an Okinawan lion statue. As spirits start appearing one after another, the peaceful life of Nanafa and her family begins to change.
Personal Hype Level: None. I was somewhat interested in this (because mentioning anything supernatural in a synopsis is my weakness) until I saw that this was going to have 5-minute episodes and would be directed by the same person who brought us Recorder and Randoseru, which by all accounts was a lesson in how not to be funny. I'm passing on this unless someone can convince me otherwise. Also, who stole their noses?


Jormungand: Perfect Order
Genres: Action, Adventure, Seinen
Synopsis: A ruthless arms dealer on a quixotic quest for world peace. A child soldier born into chaotic conflict. Their lives will intertwine as they journey together through the seedy underbelly of the world's arms market. (Season 1 synopsis)
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. The first season was interesting, but lacking...something. I haven't quite put my finger on it yet. Maybe the second season will have it.


Code:Breaker
Genres: Action, Comedy, School, Shounen, Super Power, Supernatural
Synopsis: Riding the bus one day, Sakurakouji Sakura looks out the window to see people being burned alive with a blue fire and a boy her age who's unharmed and standing over the people. She comes back to the site the next day and there are no corpses or evidence of any kind of murder, just a small fire. She then goes to class to find there's a new transfer student, Oogami Rei, who looks exactly like the boy she saw before and wears a black glove only on his left hand. Oogami is a Code Breaker, one who "does not exist". He is a seemingly cold-blooded killer who follows the principle of "an eye for an eye", to "use evil against evil". Convinced that killing is not right, Sakurakouji sets out to stop him and penetrate his icy heart.
Personal Hype Level: None. Lol, that wording in the synopsis. Anyway, this seems like the standard "lookit how cool I am" show for the season that thirteen-year-olds can point at and say that anime is not for kids. I'm probably being a little harsh, but the PVs look like a straight adaptation of tropes, and I've seen enough of that to not really care anymore.


JoJo's Bizzare Adventure
Genres: Action, Adventure, Supernatural
Synopsis: This is the story of the Joestar family, and their battles against bizarre enemies. Jonathan Joestar's battle against the vampire Dio Brando starts it all, and it continues into roughly each second generation of Joestars through all parts of the story.
Personal Hype Level: Extremely high. I've never actually read the manga, but I've heard enough about it and the story to feel like I have. Is that wrong? Anyway, the announcement of this adaptation was met with near-universal praise, but you do have to wonder: is it too late for a JoJo's Bizzare Adventure anime? There's not denying the effect that it's had on the medium, but will its style still fly in 2012? Then again, it's a JoJo anime. That's awesome in and of itself.


Litchi☆Hikari Club
Genres: Comedy, Drama, Horror, Romance, Psychological
Synopsis: The story starts of with 9 boys, all in the Hikari Club, who are driven to make the ultimate Artificial Intelligence, and will stop at nothing to create it. The leader of the club, Zera, is an attractive boy who is very sick and twisted. He has complete control of the members. The second-in-command and previous leader, Tamiya, is not happy with the way Zera is controlling everyone, so he tries to reclaim the club, and eventually everything begins to crumble and turn into chaos.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. I'm really on the fence about this one. I've heard basically universal praise for the manga. However, it always comes with the caveat that yes, it is guro, which is pretty high up on the list of things I avoid in my entertainment. All signs point to a fantastic anime, but I don't know if I'll be able to watch it.


From the New World (Shinsekai Yori)
Genres: Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Synopsis: About one thousand years into the future, civilization has been retrograded and humans are living dispersed within small communities. People in this era have a psychic power called "Juryoku" which materializes things they imagine. In the absence of advanced scientific technology, people are using this power as a major source of energy. One day, a girl called Saki, along with her friends, finds a small archive robot outside the town. It records the ancient history of humans. It tells them that Juryoku was found in the 21st century and the discovery caused a world war between psychics and non-psychics. The psychics won this war and thus their reign of terror began. When the adults in town figure out that the children discovered this forbidden knowledge, they seal their Juryoku and exile them. Saki and the others end up in a forest where they meet a huge hairless bipedal mouse known as a "Bakenezumi" and get involved in a violent war the creatures are currently engaged in.
Personal Hype Level: High. The source material is an award-winning novel, so I'm confident that it'll be able to balance all of the interesting stuff brought up in the synopsis. The PV looks great as well.


Girls und Panzer
Genres: School, Military
Synopsis: In the world, the manipulation of tanks (Sensha-do) is one of the traditional martial arts especially for girls. Miho doesn't like Sensha-do and moves to Oarai Girl's High School. But the chairperson of the student council orders Miho to participate in the national Sensha-do championship.
Personal Hype Level: None. It's anime, so we need at least one blatantly pandering title per season, right? The show does get brownie points for actually extensively researching the weapons they're portraying. I think that the success of this will probably depend on how seriously it takes itself; I mean, look at that title! It's hilarious! It's definitely not for me though, so I'm passing on it.


K
Genres: Action, Supernatural
Synopsis: LOL
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. Here's another weird one; basically nothing is known about this show except that it's an original anime and that the animation in the PV looks fantastic. I know that one of my rules above is not to list something with little information, but there's something about this that makes you want to take notice. For me it's the bishounen, for the guys I imagine it's the boobs. I'll be watching just to see if the fascination pans out.


Kyousougiga (2012)
Genres: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural
Synopsis: Three kids are stuck in a strange city causing massive mayhem through the land. They are searching for an atypical rabbit in order to return home. Koto, the eldest of the three, seems to have some sort of connection to this weird place ruled by a monk, a demon, and a priest.
Personal Hype Level: High. Remember this? It's back, and apparently with context this time. I wrote in my review then that I wasn't sure if I would watch a sequel, but the promise of story behind that fantastic animation is too strong for me to ignore.


Btooom!
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Psychological, Seinen
Synopsis: The story centers around Ryūta Sakamoto, a NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) young man and a top-ranked player in the online combat game Btoom! One day, he wakes up on a tropical island without remembering how he got there. He sees a figure in the distance and asks for help. However, the figure responds by throwing something at Ryūta — a "BIM" bomb. In that moment, Ryūta comes to realize two things: one, his own life is in danger, and two, he is now in the world of Btoom!
Personal Hype Level: Low. This certainly looks interesting, but I don't think it's the show for me. When a show has rape in its trailer, I immediately begin questioning it. Also, I'm not a fan of shooters. However, if you are looking forward to it, the directing is in competent hands; this person has never had a full-time directing credit before, but have directed episodes of Chihayafuru and Madoka Magica. This will be a director to keep an eye on in the future.


Aoi Sekai no Chuushin de
Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Parody, Shounen
Synopsis: Segua Kingdom has been losing the war against Ninterdo Empire but the tables are turned by the appearance of a boy called Gear. All the characters are parodies of Nintendo or Sega games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda etc.
Personal Hype Level: None. I'm all for parodies, but if it weren't for the synopsis, I never would've guessed. It's also from the director of Highschool DxD, Kannazuki no Miko, and the Sora no Otoshimono movie, so I think it's safe to assume to assume that the "parody" is largely an excuse for boobs. Which is fine, but don't try to pretend you're something you're not.

As Long as There's Love, it Doesn't Matter if He's My Brother, Right?! (Onii-chan Dakedo Ai Sae Areba Kankeinai yo ne)
Genres: Comedy, Romance, Harem (Why isn't 'Incest' a genre yet? There's been enough recently to merit it.)
Synopsis: Himenokouji twins Akito and Akiko have finally reunited with each other after separation due to the death of their parents. After six years of living apart they suddenly began to live under the same roof due to Akito's desire to live as a family unit once more. Things were fine at first until Akiko began to express her incestuous love for her older brother, who only sees her as a little sister.
Personal Hype Level: Ugh, just typing the title made my skin crawl. Even if this provokes the same fandom hilarity as IMOUTO, I'll be avoiding this like the plague.


Hiiro no Kakera 2
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Supernatural
Synopsis: Second season, continued from last Spring.
Personal Hype Level: None. Boo, hiss! *throws rotten tomates* You can read my thoughts on this series here, I'm amazed that I got through the first half. I'm certainly not going back to it.


Medaka Box Abnormal
Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Martial Arts, Romance, School, Shounen
Synopsis: Second season.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. The first season had its problems, but I'm willing to give it one more shot because of the things that I did enjoy. Here's hoping that this is the example that proves the "it gets better" rule.

Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School
Synopsis: The school romantic comedy revolves around a second-year high school student named Sorata Kanda who lives in Sakurasou, the dormitory for problem children at Sorata's school. One day, Mashiro Shiina —a cute girl who happens to be also a cosmopolitan, brilliant artist— moves into Sakurasou. Sorata thinks to himself that he should protect Mashiro from the weirdos at Sakurasou, but Mashiro has a surprising secret: she has no idea how to take care of herself. She gets lost if she goes out, and her room is a complete mess. Sorata's dorm mates designate him as the "master" of Mashiro, and thus, an ordinary boy and a brilliant girl must live like "a master and his pet."
Personal Hype Level: None. Um. Okay, how do I put this lightly... WHAT THE HELL, JAPAN. What kind of weird fantasy is this? She's intelligent but still needs someone to take care of her? Does that kind of person even exist? The PV also promises boobs, nudity, a literal pile of pantsu, and Every Male Lead Ever™. I should probably be directing more of this rage at the incest show, but that's come up so many times I've become desensitized to it. Is this my life now? Am I going to become desensitized to girls becoming objects? ...Did an anime synopsis just give me a mental breakdown? Oh boy...


Teekyuu
Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports
Synopsis: Teekyuu is based on a sports comedy manga of the same name featuring four high school girls who belong to a tennis club.
Personal Hype Level: None.

The executive stared out at the city below him, noticing his faint reflection in the glass of the window. In this view he was a giant, his feet large enough to crush the people walking below, mere ants. They didn't even know he was watching them seventy stories up. He smiled to himself. Soon enough, he would have the power to crush them to his will, if only figuratively.

"S-Sir?" He turned around in the high-backed chair, finding a timid, spectacled man quivering before his desk. "We have a re-report for you...sir." He held out a manila folder towards him.

Snatching it out of his hand, he flipped the folder open to be immediately greeted by an image of four cartoon girls, two with impossible hair colors. "What is this?"

"It's called 'Teekyu,' sir." The timid man kept clasping and unclasping his hands. "It's about a group of girls in a tennis club--"

"Doesn't matter. What do they do?"

"I'm sorry?"

"It doesn't matter what kind of club they're in. What do they do?" With the final word, he slapped the folder down on the desk, making the timid man jump.

"They-They don't do anything." He quickly adjusted his glasses. "It just began serialization, and you instructed us to inform you if anything--"

"Fund it." He was looking at the picture of the girls again, hands shaking.

"...What?"

"Make an anime immediately. I don't care what strings you have to pull." He was getting excited now, loosening his tie a little bit.

"But sir, it doesn't even have a volume out yet! It's possible that this could be the one, but taking a risk like this right off the bat is--"

"I don't care. Just get it done." He picked up the picture and turned his chair away from the man. This meeting was over.

"Yes, sir." He heard the door open and close a moment later.

He could barely contain himself. This was it; he could feel it in his bones. This was what he'd been looking for all this time, to bring this silly subculture to its breaking point. He held the picture out in front of him. In this view, he was a god, bestowing a new obsession onto his people. A laugh escaped him, then another, until he was doubled over with loud cackling. Soon enough, this entire city would be at its knees.

It was only a matter of time.

Series information from Animu Charts and MAL. Images from MAL and Google Image Search.