SUMMER ANIME 2008 PREVIEW!!! (updated)

HERE IS THE LIST OF THE UPCOMING ANIME NEXT SEASON!!!

This summer season, girls dominate anime!!!

(Updated 6/15/2008 and added air dates and episode numbers on some shows…)

Below each summary is my personal “first impression” opinion on them(PERSONAL OK? So don’t hate on me…)… Anyway, I will try to blog the first episodes of some series and now judge which shows will I continue to blog. Please comment and let me hear your own opinions on these upcoming anime too…

IKKITOUSEN GREAT GUARDIANS
13 episodes
Website: http://www.ikkitousen.com/
Air Date: June 11
Animation Company: ARMS (Genshiken 2, Elfen Lied)
Seiyuu: Masumi Asano, Satoshi Hino, Yuko Kaida

– This is the third season of the adaptation of Yuji Shiozaki’s manga. This season will feature a completely original story not based on the manga and features brand new characters including Sun Quan.

– I already watched the first episode and it started with some action (not to mention b**bs and panties…)…

CHOCOLATE UNDERGROUND

13 episodes
Website: http://www.choco-bar.jp/
Air Date: June 12
Animation Company: Production I.G. (xxxHOLiC, Ghost Hound)/Trance Arts

– In the series, the Good For You party passes a law that forbids the consumption of chocolate after 5 in the evening appropriately called the Chocolate Prohibition Law. It prohibits all sweet things, including chocolates, because they are harmful to one’s health. Two boys, Huntley and Smudger, stand up to fight against the law. With help from Louise and other friends, they begin to bootleg chocolate. (from AnimeNfo)

– It looks interesting to watch… really.. It kinda reminds me of Toshokan Sensou except that chocolates are banned except for books.

TELEPATHY SHOUJO RAN
26 episodes
Website: http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/ran/
Air Date: June 21
Animation Company: TMS Entertainment (Itazura na Kiss)
Seiyuu: Emiri Katou, Tomokazu Seki, Hiroki Shimowada, Kana Ueda

– Ran is a bright and energetic first-grader in junior high school who possesses supernatual abilities. Together with Midori (her friend who also has supernatural powers) and Rui, the threesome are constantly embroiled in mysterious circumstances. Ran is troubled by her powers because it seems to spark off the ill intentions of people in contact with her. However, with the support of her family and peers, Ran learns to deal with her ‘other’ side and accepts who she is. The threesome also learn how to team up as a whole and solve these mysterious events. (from ANN)

– I’m having a feeling that it would be lame.. so pass…..

ULTRAVIOLET CODE 044
12 episodes
Website: http://uvcode044.jp/
Air Date: July 1
Animation Company: Madhouse Studios (Claymore, Saiunkoku Monogatari)
Seiyuu: Romi Paku

– An adaptation of the Hollywood movie UltraViolet (directed and written by Kurt Wimmer), which in turn was a loose adaptation of the movie Gloria (directed and written by John Cassavetes).

The main character, “044,” is a female warrior who is genetically engineered with high combat skills and ordered by the government to annihilate a vampire army. (from AniDB)

– I aready saw the movie, it was MEH.. and now an anime? MEH..

SLAYERS REVOLUTION
Website: http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/slayers_revolution/
Air Date: July 2
Animation Company: J.C. Staff (Shakugan no Shana, Zero no Tsukaima)
Seiyuu: Akira Ishida, Megumi Hayashibara, Yasunori Matsumoto

– This season’s story takes place at the time when Lina and Gourry start a new journey to look for Gourry’s new sword with the power of magic. It will also include a new character named Pocota who is said to have cast a Dragon Slave using the Sword of Light. Sylpiel and Prince Phil are also reported to appear. (from Moetron)

-I’m not a fan of the show so I’ll be passing this one…

SEKIREI
Website: http://www.sekirei-tv.com/
Air Date: July 2
Animation Company: Seven Arcs (Inukami, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha)
Seiyuu: Saori Hayami, Marina Inoue, Shinnosuke Tachibana

– Minato is a total loser. He’s failed to make it into college twice, he’s unpopular with women, and he’s unemployed. But suddenly one day he met a girl dashing inhumanely fast down the road he walked, chased by 2 bandits with electrical powers. From that day on Minato’s life changed forever. The Girl, Musubi was not any ordinary girl she was a “Sekirei”, and suddenly she just bestows Minato with the power of an Ashikabi, one of a mysterious set of “masters” in an awesome battle royale between hordes of cute girls (and males) with individual special powers called “Sekirei’s”. Eventually Minato’s true capabilities will release his useless self into truly understanding all of the Sekirei’s that he embarks to gather, and his own strength. (from ANN)

– I just changed my mind and I will give it a try… It looks waayy better than Kanokon or Ikkitousen for me… The guy looks kinda smart and the story is somewhat interesting…

MAHOU TSUKAI NI TAISETSU NA KOTO ~Natsu no Sora~
Website: http://www.sora-mahou.com/
Air Date: July 2
Animation Company: Hal Film Maker (Aria, Sketchbook ~full color’S~)
Seiyuu: Kana Hanazawa, Tomoaki Maeno

– Second season of the adaptation of the manga series written by Norie Yamada and illustrated by Kumichi Yoshizuki, titled Someday’s Dreamers in the official English version. It adapts the recently serialized second spinoff of the original manga, which shares the same title as the anime.

The story is set in present day Tokyo. Much of the setting is based upon real areas, the more obvious ones being the Shibuya Crossing and Tokyo Tower. The main backdrop of the series where they all reside is in Shimokitazawa, roughly 6 minutes west of Shibuya on the Keio Inokashira Line. In Tokyo is the Bureau of Magic, which employs Mage Labour for certain special requests by everyday people. However, the mages must only use their magic with special permission, and any unlicensed use results in a penalty. (from Wikipedia)

– It kinda looks promising in terms of art so I’ll give it a try…

HIDAMARI SKETCH x365
Number of episodes: Unknown
Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari/
Air Date: July 3
Animation Company: SHAFT (ef- a tale of memories, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)
Seiyuu: Kana Asumi, Kaori Mizuhashi, Ryoko Shintani, Yuko Goto

– Hidamari Sketch centers around a young girl named Yuno who finally is able to get accepted into Yamabuki High School, which she has longed for. To attend the school, Yuno moves and starts to live in a small apartment building named the Hidamari Apartments located near the school. Once there, she starts making new friends like her classmate Miyako and the second year students, Hiro and Sae. There is no real plot line to the story but rather the events of the characters’ everyday lives are shown as they attend the school together and get to know each other better. (from Wikipedia)

– I like the first season because of its slice-of-life themes so I’ll check this one out..

ANTIQUE BAKERY
12 episodes
Air Date: July 3
Animation Company: Nippon Animation/Shirogumi Inc. (Moyashimon)
Seiyuu: Keiji Fujiwara, Eiji Hanawa, Shinichiro Miki, Mamoru Miyano

– Tachibana, grandson of a rich businessman and newbie in the world of managing; Ono Yuusuke, famous pastry chef and even more infamous “devilish homosexual”; Kanda Eiji, a retired young boxer with a thing for pastries; Kobayakawa Chikage, servant friend of Tachibana and current romantic interest of Ono, who is clumsy yet serious and stoic to a fault (most of the time). Together, these four men maintain a small yet elegant cafe known as “Antique”, where they and all their customers can come together to cherish one of the few but truly important things in life: cake. (from ANN)

– NO.

STRIKE WITCHES
Website: http://s-witch.cute.or.jp/
Air Date: July 3
Animation Company: Gonzo (Last Exile, Rosario + Vampire, Special A)
Seiyuu: Saeko Chiba, Misato Fukuen, Kaori Nazuka, Miyuki Sawashiro, Rie Tanaka

– When a mysterious force suddenly attacks the world, only the girls who have magic can fight against them. They install weapons in their own bodies and fight in the sky, the land, and the sea. The battle to protect the world begins. (Wikipedia)

– For the loli-ness, yes. But for the get-up, NO… but it kinda looks interesting though..

BIRDY
13 episodes
Website: http://www.birdy-tv.com/
Air Date: July 5
Animation Company: A-1 Pictures Inc. (Ookiku Furikabutte, Persona ~trinity soul~)
Seiyuu: Miyu Irino, Saeko Chiba

– 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. (AniDB)

– Judging from the title…NONONO

ZERO NO TSUKAIMA 3

13 episodes
Website: http://www.zero-tsukaima.com/
Air Date: July 6
Animation Company: J.C. Staff (Sky Girls, Nabari no Ou, Shakugan no Shana, Honey and Clover)
Seiyuu: Rie Kugimiya, Satoshi Hino

– Meet Louise, a budding magician. The students at the Tristein Academy call her “Zero Louise”, due to her current record of zero successes with magic. In fact, her magic tends to go spectacularly wrong. Now, as an important test of her aptitude for magic, she must summon a familiar to be her servant. At this critical moment, she summons up all her magic and wishes for a familiar that is “devoted, beautiful and powerful”, and gets… Hiraga Saito, an ordinary Japanese boy. It’s difficult to say who is more surprised and dismayed, but the rules don’t allow for second attempts. Louise is stuck with her strange familiar, and he with her. (ANN)

– Watched the first and second season already… I love Louise! She’s such a violent tsundere. I’m also a fan of Rie Kugimiya..

NATSUME YUUJIN-CHOU
Website: http://www.natsume-anime.jp/
Air Date: July 7
Animation Company: Brains Base (Baccano, Kure-nai)
Seiyuu: Hiroshi Kamiya, Kazuhiko Inoue

– 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)

– No idea what this would be like… But since I noticed many people are searching this one, i might give it a try…

KOIHIME†MUSOU
12 episodes
Website: http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/koihime/
Air Date: July 8
Animation Company: Dogakobo
Seiyuu: Emi Motoi, Hiroka Nishizawa, Maki Kobayashi

– Koihime†Musō re-imagines the classic Chinese historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms in action/love comedy form with a nearly all-female cast. The game itself featured upwards of 30 female characters. (ANN)

– What? Harem of 30 girls?? Might try for one or two episodes..:)

MISSION E
Website: http://avexmovie.jp/lineup/mission-e/
Air Date: July 10
Animation Company: Studio DEEN (Fate/stay night, Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai)
Seiyuu: Mai Hashimoto, Yuuna Inamura

– Sequel to the previously aired Code-E, set five years after the final episode in near-future Japan. It will feature a new a new lead named Maori Kimizuka, who will join Ebihara Chinami, the lead from the first season. Both are TYPE-E users adorned in the above pictured rainbow uniforms, and wield supernatural abilities. OZ, the place Chinami and Maori work at, aims for the the adaption of TYPE-E users into society, are in hostility with the “Foundation” who advocate the isolation and control of TYPE-E users that those men belonged to. (AS)

-Besides from the lame costumes, what kept me worried here is that it can be boring again like the first season…

NOGIZAKA HARUKA NO HIMITSU
Website: http://www.nogizaka-haruka.com/
Air Date: July 10
Animation Company: Studio Barcelona (sola, Kodomo no Jikan)
Seiyuu: Mamiko Noto, Wataru Hatano

– Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu centers around Ayase Yuko and Nogizaka Haruka. Yuto is seemingly ordinary, but Haruka is attractive, intelligent, and rich, which prompts other students to idolize her and even give her French nicknames like “Nuit Étoile” (The Silver Star of the Night) and “Lumière du Clavier” (The Shining Princess on the Piano). One day, Yuko wanders into the school library in order to return a book and accidently stumbles upon Haruka’s deepest, darkest secret: she is a diehard fan of anime and manga, in other words, a regular otaku. Promising Haruka to keep this a secret, Yuko becomes her advisor and confidente of some sort and hangs out with her more, though earning some viciously envious glares from his fellow schoolmates. (from ANN)

– I think this is like, one of a (veryveryvery) few shows that I find nice next season… Plus another rich otaku girl? I’m so not gonna miss this one…

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL
Website: http://mugen.kc.kodansha.co.jp/
Air Date: July 13
Animation Company: Bee Train (El Cazador de la Bruja, Tsubasa Chronicles)
Seiyuu: Rina Satou, Tomokazu Seki

– Manji is a crass, violent samurai with a special ability: he cannot die. Cursed with immortality by the nun Yobikuni as punishment for his ruthless deeds, he has grown weary of his ageless life. The only way to lift the curse is to slay 1,000 evil men. So Manji wanders Japan, shedding the blood of the wicked on his quest to finally die. (from ANN)

– Looks too violent and the main guy looks fofo… so NO.

WORLD DESTRUCTION
13 episodes
Website: http://wd.sega.jp/
Air Date: July 13
Animation Company: Production I.G. (Ghost Hound, Ghost in the Shell, xxxHOLiC)
Seiyuu: Morute Ashera, Mamoru Miyano, Maaya Sakamoto

– Spin-off of the yet to be released game of the same title by SEGA.

The game centers on a youth named Kirie Irunisu who secretly possesses the power to destroy the world. He is forced to join a party that aims not to save the world, but to eradicate it and start anew. (ANN)

– It kinda has potential…so I’ll try this one…

Overall Impression:

There’s only a few which I’m interested with unlike the Spring Season where its full of promising shows. I’m gonna pass on some(well, mostly).. So based on my first impressions(introductions), Here’s my list of…

“Must See”:

– Nogizaka Haruka no HImitsu

– World Destruction

– Chocolate Underground

– Someday’s Dreamers

“Will Try”

– Zero No Tsukaima 3

– Strike Witches

– Hidamari Sketch x365