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As the Winter season wraps up and the wheat is separated from the chaff, it's time to speculate about the new season! I'm excited for quite a few things this time around. Which shows are on your must-watch list?
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), spinoffs that I have not seen the original material for, "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!
Karneval
Genres: Action, Mystery, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Shoujo
Synopsis: Nai searches for someone important to him, with only an abandoned bracelet as a clue. Gareki steals and pick-pockets to get by from day to day. The two meet in a strange mansion where they are set-up, and soon become wanted criminals by military security operatives. When Nai and Gareki find themselves desperate in a hopeless predicament, they encounter none other than the country's most powerful defense organization—"Circus"!!
Personal Hype Level: Low. I was initially really interested by the promo art, but when you look at the studio and the staff... Yeah, this is probably gonna fall right on its face. The director is responsible for Kodomo no Jikan and Mashiroiro Symphony, which is not exactly a ringing endorsement in my book. The scriptwriter was apparently responsible for the screenplay of Wolf's Rain, but their most recent work was the script for Amnesia... So once again, not exactly quality stuff. I'm showing up the eye candy alone. I'm not expecting much else.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Genres: Action, Drama, Fantasy, Super Power
Synopsis: Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by giants. Giants are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of giants. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a giant in over 100 years. Teenage boy Elen and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a super giant that appears out of thin air. As the smaller giants flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Elen vows that he will murder every single giant and take revenge for all of mankind.
Personal Hype Level: High. I can't help but get excited about this. I've heard nothing but good things about the manga, which has won multiple awards. The story sounds fantastic. And the PV looks absolutely amazing. Please, please, please don't let me down.
Ore no Imouto S2
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life, Seinen
Synopsis: Second Season
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. This is a Kuroneko appreciation space. I am watching for her alone.
Kakumeiki Valvrave
Genres: Mecha
Synopsis: Between the two major powers--the Dorushia Military Pact Federation and the Atlantic Ring United States (ARUS)--there is a small neutral nation called Jioru that has prospered economically. The protagonist Haruto Tokishima, a high school student that lives in Jioru, encounters the mysterious humanoid weapon "Valvrave" when the Dorushia army invades.
Personal Hype Level: None. I don't mind mecha elements, but I've never really liked a straight-up mecha series, with the exception of Gurren Lagann (but that had a lot of other things going on in it, so). Anyway, mecha fans can have their fun, this is not my cup of tea. Pass.
Date A Live
Genres: Mecha, Romance, School, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Synopsis: Itsuka Shido is a high school boy. On the last day of the spring holidays, an explosion destroys the town and a girl in armor appears in front of him. Shido's sister-in-law, Kotori, tells him that the girl is called "Special Disasterous Designated Creature: Spirit", which causes a timespace quake. Kotori disclosed that she is the commander of the anti-spirit organization Ratatosk and orders him to go out on a date with the spirit girl. Kotori says, "I don't ask you to beat the spirit. Just let her fall in love with you and save the world."
Personal Hype Level: None. The title confuses me more than it probably should. I don't know what kind of Engrish they were going for there. Anyway, here's our blatant harem title for the season. Pass.
Suisei no Gargantia
Genres: Sci-Fi
Synopsis: The story begins in the distant future in the far reaches of the galaxy. The Human Galactic Alliance has been constantly fighting for its survival against a grotesque race of beings called "Hidiaazu." During an intense battle, the young lieutenant Redo and his humanoid mobile weapon Chamber are swallowed up into a distortion of time and space. Waking from his artificially induced hibernation, Redo realizes that he has arrived on Earth, the planet on the lost frontier. On this planet that was completely flooded by the seas, people live in fleets of giant ships, salvaging relics from the seas' depths in order to survive. Redo arrives on one of the fleets called Gargantia. With no knowledge of the planet's history or culture, he is forced to live alongside Amy, a 15-year-old girl who serves as a messenger aboard the Gargantia fleet. To Redo, who has lived a life where he knows nothing but fighting, these days of peace continue to surprise him.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. I really like the futuristic steampunk thing they have going on, but considering that these days having Urobuchi on your project is the same as announcing on a loudspeaker "DARK STUFF IS GONNA HAPPEN, PEOPLE ARE GONNA DIE" I'm not sure how it's going to balance out. Doubly so since the director worked on Code Geass and the FMA: Brotherhood movie. That said, it still looks interesting.
Hataraku Maou-sama!
Genres: Comedy, Demons, Romance, Shounen
Synopsis: Devil King Sadao is only one step away from conquering the world when he is beaten by Hero Emilia and forced to drift to the other world: modern-day Tokyo. As "conquering the world" are the only skills the Devil King possesses—and are obviously unnecessary in his new situation—he must work as a freeter to pay for his living expenses!
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. So, my understanding of the premise is that it's like Maoyu, but instead of economics, they're working at a fast food place. This will either be hilarious or get really old really fast. There's not really much indication about how the staff will handle this either; their track records are all over the place. The last show the director was on was Future Diary. I'll give it a shot though.
Devil Survivor 2
Genres: Demons, Supernatural
Synopsis: When a new website that shows the manner of people's deaths in advance makes the rounds among Japanese high schoolers, a trio of students is shocked to witness their own deaths in a terrible subway incident just minutes away. They narrowly escape the carnage, only to find themselves in a worse situation - facing otherworldly demons. Desperate to survive, they fend off the demons and flee, but the destruction at the station is only the beginning...
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. It sounds like a good series, but like the Persona 4 adaptation, I'm going to have to pass on it for now because I want to play the game eventually and don't want spoilers.
Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love 2000%
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Shoujo, Harem
Synopsis: Second season.
Personal Hype Level: High. Comedy is right; the first season of this show never failed to make me laugh every week. It's all so over the top and ridiculous that the majority of it feels like a parody (when Norio Wakamoto voices your school principal, then no one is taking your show seriously). I expect this season to be just as hilarious.
RDG: Red Data Girl
Genres: Fantasy
Synopsis: A modern fantasy based on Japanese Shinto legends. Suzuhara Izumiko is a 15-year-old girl, who has been raised and protected in a shrine deep in the Kumano mountains. She is quite shy and destroys all the electric devices she touches. When she begins to think about going out of the mountains and moving to the city, her guardian Sagara Yukimasa recommends her to enter a high school in Tokyo and forces his son Miyuki to serve Izumiko for life. Miyuki and Izumiko repel each other but their relationship begins to change when a terrifying accident occurs on the school excursion. Izumiko learns her fate as the last representative (yorishiro) of a Himegami goddess and Miyuki learns of his duty as a guardian Yamabushi of Izumiko.
Personal Hype Level: High. On the one hand, this show is coming from P.A. Works, and the last time they did a supernatural horror show, it left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, I'm loving the staff attached to this show. The director has done The Book of Bantorra, the first season of Black Butler, a bunch of Inyuasha movies, as well as a lot of other interesting stuff. The person in charge of series composition has done a little bit of everything when it comes to scripts, from my beloved Princess Tutu to Blood+ to Squid Girl and literally everything inbetween. Now, does that mean they're flexible with material and can consistently churn out good stuff, or is the pool so diluted that we don't know what we're going to get with Red Data Girl? Only one way to find out!
Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san
Genres: Comedy, Slice of Life
Synopsis: Mukoujima Takurou is a lonely teenager who spends his time fishing at the pier and, to his incredible surprise, fishes up Muromi, a mermaid. Muromi first off doesn't realize she's a mermaid until she meets Takurou. Not only that, she is incredibly dense and crazy and has a drinking problem to top it off. Now every time Takurou goes fishing, Muromi appears and makes life interesting for him.
Personal Hype Level: None. Her eyelashes look like eyebrows... But she already has eyebrows... What am I looking at... And what the hell is going on with the music in the PV? Anyway, this isn't really grabbing me. Pass.
Zettai Bouei Leviathan
Genres: Fantasy
Synopsis: The story is set in Aquafall, a fantasy world abound with water and greenery, and populated by dragons and fairies. Meteorites suddenly bring forth evil creatures that threaten all living things on the planet. The fairy Syrup assembles the Aquafall Defense Force, with three girls of the dragon clans as recruits. The story follows Syrup and the dragon girls Leviathan, Bahamut, and Jörmungandr as they work together to battle enemies and grow up.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. Cute dragon girls? Fantasy setting? No bland harem lead in sight? I'm in.
The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat. (Hentai Ouji to Warawanai Neko.)
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Seinen
Synopsis: Youto Yokodera is always thinking about his carnal desires, but no one acknowledges him as a pervert. He learns about a cat statue that supposedly grants wishes. The boy goes to pray that he will be able to express his lustful thoughts whenever and wherever he wants. At the statue, Youto encounters Tsukiko Tsutsukakushi, a girl from his high school with her own wish — that she would not display her real intentions so readily.
Personal Hype Level: None. Everything I've seen about this series seems to be shouting at me YOU WILL NOT LIKE THIS DO NOT ENGAGE so I'm not bothering with it. Pass.
Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku
Genres: Slice of Life Synopsis: A spin-off of Lucky Star. Centers around big sister Hinata Miyakawa and little sister Hikage Miyakawa's impoverished daily life at home (due to Hinata's wasteful habits) and Hikage's life at elementary school.
Personal Hype Level: Moderate. I'm not sure if this is actually airing this season, since it doesn't have a definitive streaming date (it looks like this will be one of those "stream it online one season and air it the next" senarios) but I'll cover it now anyway. I do like Lucky Star
Majestic Prince
Genres: Action, Mecha, School, Sci-Fi, Seinen
Synopsis: In the latter half of 21st century, humans leave the Earth and begin to live in space. In order to adapt to the environment in space and deal with the hostile aliens in Jupiter, genetically engineered children called "Princes" are artificially raised and trained to be pilots of armed robots "AHSMB (Advanced High Standard Multipurpose Battle Device). This is a story about one of the teenage "Princes", Hitachi O Izuru, who studies in an academic city Grandzehle. Personal Hype Level: None. Forget Ginga Bishounen, we have Ginga Kikoutai now! Anyway, like I said above, mecha is not my scene. Pass.
Yahari
Genres: Comedy, Romance, School
Synopsis: This romantic comedy revolves around an antisocial high school student named Hikigaya Hachiman with a distorted view on life and no friends or girlfriend. When he see his classmates talking excitedly about living their adolescent lives, he mutters, They're a bunch of liars. When he is asked about his future dreams, he responds, Not working. A teacher gets Hachiman to join the volunteer service club, which happens to have the school's prettiest girl, Yukinoshita Yukino.
Personal Hype Level: Low. No, I'm not typing out the full title. This sounds like Hagani V2, which isn't exactly a bad thing, but it'll have to do something different if it wants to shake off that comparison. Not having the characters act incredibly cruel to each other would be a good start.
Cyclops Shoujo Saipu~
Genres: Comedy, School, Slice of Life, Seinen
Synopsis: When Fuuka hit her second year of middle school, puberty kicked in. Now she's really tall and has huge boobs. Due to her hairstyle, her classmates call her "Saipu," after the cyclops. Her affection for her older brother was cute when she was a little girl and said she wanted to marry him. Now it just freaks him out, since she's decided she's adult enough to follow through on her childish promises.
Personal Hype Level: None. There are very few shows with a ~tilde~ in the title that are worth watching, and this doesn't sound like one of them. Are we done with imoutos yet? Can we just completely move on to chuunibyou instead? (This is apparently the premiere title for the season, since it's already airing. Make of that what you will.)
Photo Kano
Genres: Romance, School
Synopsis: The story revolves around the male protagonist who just got a DSLR camera from his dad and start to develop photography as his new hobby.
Personal Hype Level: None. Oh look, another game adaptation featuring a protagonist who puts in a bare minimum of effort and is rewarded with a waifu. Pass. (I feel sorry for the director. He's worked on some amazing stuff, and now he gets a dating sim. Ouch.)
Yuyushiki
Genres: Comedy, School, Seinen
Synopsis: The manga follows the school life of three girls in the data processing club—Yuzuko, Yukari, and Yui.
Personal Hype Level: Low. This will probably be one of those five-to-three-minute shorts that will live or die depending on how good it's jokes are.
Mushibugyou
Genres: Martial Arts, Shounen
Synopsis: The action story is set in Edo-era Tokyo in the early 1700s. The eighth shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune ordered boxes to be installed so commoners can submit their thoughts. After hearing their voices, the shogun creates a new magistrate unit—Mushibugyou—to protect the people in the heart of the city. Each member is a specialist with unique fighting skills.
Personal Hype Level: None. And here's another slightly unfortunate character design. Other than that, a promo trailer was recently released that makes the entire thing look really juvenile. SWORDS AND BOOBS YAY. Pass.
Aku no Hana
Genres: Drama, Romance, School, Psychological
Synopsis: Kasuga Takao steals the gym clothes of the girl he likes. The weird, creepy, and friendless girl of the class, Nakamura, saw him take the uniform. Instead of revealing it was him, she recognizes his kindred deviant spirit and uses her knowledge to take control of his life.
Personal Hype Level: High. Here's another adaptation that's been getting a lot of attention because of it's manga version. Apparently, it is completely messed up. I don't know how far I'll be able to get, but I'm willing to give it a go. Expect lots of capslocking on Twitter.
Arata Kangatari
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Synopsis: Every 30 years, a new princess is chosen from the Hime family to serve the Hayagami. The time has come again, but over these past years, records state not a single female has been born, save for one, the 15-year-old Arata. The only problem is, Arata is actually a male! Forced to disguise himself and take the place of the princess candidate until a formal one can be found, he attends the festival only to witness the current princess, Kokuri-hime, murdered, and his own life is forfeit as well, by the hands of the princess' personal guard, the 12 Shinshou. As he runs for his life, Kannagi of the 12 convinces everyone that Arata is the one who has murdered the princess instead, and now everyone in the Imperial Court is after his head!
Personal Hype Level: High. A Watase series! Good times. I like her stuff, even though a lot of people correctly argue that it can get really generic. Still, her series are really entertaining, and there's a reason why Fushigi Yuugi has been mimicked ad nauseam over the years. I'm excited about this.
Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge
Genres: Action, Fantasy, Romance, Seinen
Synopsis: Haimura Kiri is a seemingly ordinary boy with one slight problem: he is obsessed with cutting other people's hair. One day he meets Mushiyanokouji Iwai, the "Hair Queen" who cannot cut her hair because of an inherited curse. Kiri finds out that his scissor, "Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge" is the only thing that can cut them. But little did he know that their meeting sparked the start of an old murder game to kill the "Hair Queen" using the cursed killing tools, the "Killing Goods." Can Kiri protect Iwai from the Killing Goods Owners? Let the game begin!
Personal Hype Level: None. And the award for weirdest synopsis goes to... Kidding aside, normally I'd take a chance on this, but with all the other stuff I want to watch+holdovers from last season+school, I'm going to have to pass on this.
Aiura
Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Slice of Life
Synopsis: The story centers around Amaya, Iwasawa, and Uehara—three "annoying, spirited high school girls with zero motivation"—and their classmates. Their daily life is "what happens when there is nothing happening."
Personal Hype Level: Low. See Yuyushiki.
It's Glass Mask, But... (Glass no Kamen Desu Ga)
Genres: Comedy, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Synopsis: The anime will re-imagine the story with the characters Maya Kitajima and her rival Ayumi Himekawa being "yankee" (delinquent) girls who both aspire to be the leader of the "Crimson Goddess" gang.
Personal Hype Level: High. I feel like I've been given something that I didn't know that I wanted until I had it in my hands. This is amazing and I'm glad it exists. Making it even better is that this is being done by the same studio that made Thermae Romae, which means that it'll look stupid but still be hilarious. If you haven't seen Glass Mask and don't understand why this spinoff is awesome, you need to fix that right now.
Series information from Seasonal Charts Inc. and MAL. Images from MAL and Google Image Search. Top image from Pixiv.
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