Spring Anime Catalogue 2012

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Genres: Drama, Historical, Romance,School, Slice of Life, Josei AIR Date: April 12, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Yūki Kodama (manga) Episodes: 12
Producers: Tezuka Productions, MAPPA Director: Shinichiro Watanabe
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

A coming-of-age story about love, friendship and music taking place in 1966. Nishimi Kaoru does a lot of school moving due to his father’s job, making it difficult for him to really get comfortable and counting the days down until the next move. Currently at a school in the Nagasaki Prefecture, it seems like he’s finally found a group of people he can connect to. Ritsuko the class president and Sentaro a bad boy, the three are able to find a unique middle ground: Jazz music.

Do be jazzed for Apollon everybody! I love the idea of an anime turning the clock back to the 60’s with music as a centerpiece, and it (and maybe Tsuritama) brings noitaminA back to what many fans might’ve expected from the hour-block of programming; quality anime. The josei genre has been on a streak lately with Chihaya, Usagi Drop and a little further back Wandering Son, and even though Apollon is an ongoing manga like those series, this one is an award-winning manga and has me interested in the story of Kaoru and the other Kids on the Slope.

Watanabe is directing which is cool and some of the voice talent like Ryohei Kimura is alright, but more important to this show is not just Yoko Kanno herself doing the show’s music, but Yoko Kanno doing jazz music. Cowboy Bebop is arguably the pinnacle of anime OSTs, and the jazz music was incredible and listenable beyond the confines of the series. Tezuka isn’t a well-known studio and MAPPA will be making its official debut outside the financially-troubled Satoshi Kon film Dreaming Machine. The animation in the trailer you see looks very josei-level great and appropriate for the time, and the HQ drumming animation has me anxious to see what happens when the band gets together and starts bursting out some tunes.

// C O M M E N T S
The last time Yoko Kanno and Shinichiro Watanabe worked together on an anime, they created Cowboy Bebop – the number one must-watch anime in existence. Yoko Kanno is a legendary music composer, known for her work in Wolf’s Rain, Arjuna, and of course, Cowboy Bebop. She can slip into any genre of music with ease and create a masterpiece, so it’s no wonder a music-oriented anime would seek her out for the job. If you couldn’t tell, Cowboy Bebop is my favourite anime, so I have nothing but high praise for Watanabe and his work. It’s a match made in heaven…these two can do no wrong!

The genre isn’t my usual type of thing, I will admit. It looks like a more slow-paced josei with powerful, emotional moments. Whether or not this kind of anime can actually affect me really varies. Josei anime tend to try too hard to get people to cry, and thus the over-dramatization turns me off. That being said, Appollon still looks really, really good. The short trailer just oozes style and clash, while sporting some impressive animation despite being from such an obscure studio. The seiyuu won’t really make or break the deal at this point, but they definitely have a few great voices on board. Ryohei Kimura (Mawaru Penguindrum’s Shouma) and Yoshimasa Hosoya (No.6’s Nezumi. Maybe he’ll sing!) seem to be getting rather busy with roles now. Nobuhiko Okamoto – popular as always – is also joining the team. You should recognize him as Ao no Exorcist’s Rin or Tiger & Bunny’s Origami Cyclone. Apollon is pretty much good news all around, and if there’s one show you check out this season…it’d be better to make it this one.

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Overcooled ] [ Jrow ]

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Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Seinen AIR Date: April 5, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Ishiki (manga) Episodes: 12
Producers: AIC Director: Fumitoshi Oizaki
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

Petite and tsundere, Tsukimi has the biggest crush on the cute megane guy Io. Unfortunately, Tsukimi’s tsundere-ness makes her unable to show her feelings to Io, who is unsociable and unaware of Tsukimi’s feelings too, so there’s not much progress between the two of them. I bet some people are itching to do something for the two of them, because I am! Their friends are too, and that’s what they will be doing. This is my type of anime, yes. The story is a common romantic story that has been used in many romantic works, so there must be something about this that makes it special or else it won’t be animated. Either way, I bet this will be cute, and since I like cute stuff I’ll be enjoying this.
The plot sounds like every generic romance anime ever created! Tsundere main lead and a dense male lead? YES! My life is now complete! Just kidding…at least this isn’t considered a harem themed anime, because I don’t think we can deal with another failed attempt at a Infinite Stratos clone minus France-tan and mecha girls. However, on the voice acting side we have one of my personal favorites, Nobuhiko Okamoto (Rin from Ao no Exorcist) as Io Otonashi and the others are Rumi Ookubo (Chinatsu from Yuru Yuri), Hitomi Nanateme (Margery Daw from Shana Final), Kaori Fukuhara (Run from A-Channel), and Shintaro Asanuma (Kaito from Phi Brain). So, the cast looks to be solid, while some of them do appear to be somewhat fresh in the voice world.
Kyokai That summary on MAL was so generic with the overuse of ‘subtle distance’. Of course, the premise is nothing new and even Tsukimi’s hair aren’t that unique either (remember that Kuro no Usagi anime that came out a season back?). Not to mention the longass ahoge; Io’s is Araragi-length but Tsukimi’s just ridiculous. They are friends so they would figure things out; however, if the friends are too pushy, this is a disaster waiting to happen.
// POSSIBLY blogging: [ anaaga ]

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Genres: Slice of Life AIR Date: April 5, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Sunrise/ Sphere Episodes: 12
Producers: Sunrise Director: Seiji Mizushima
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

I’m honestly not entirely sure why this show interests me so much, though it might be partly because the characters wear some pretty awesome shoes, but anyway, the synopsis leads me to believe this will probably be a typical SoL. Of course I have no problems with that because I love slice of life shows and two of my favorite VAs are voicing some of the main cast, Aki Toyosaki  and Ayahi Takagaki. It seems like all the usual archetypes of a four girl crew will be covered here, the shy girl, the genki girl, the blond ojou, and the ordinary high schooler. (Of course, that’s just me guessing based on the official artwork though. xD) So while I’m not expecting anything spectacular, I’m sure I’ll enjoy this just as much as any other SoL.
I only know sphere for doing Ika Musume Season two opening High powered and now they are doing their own anime? So, do these girls sing or something? Anyway this sounds like Yuru Yuri-ish thanks to the main cast being all girls. The yuri shippers will eat this series alive, not to mention fanart and the rest that goes along with these types of anime, but it looks like cute girls doing cute things aka K-ON clone all over again. Just give these girls instruments and let them go crazy.

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Hawthorne ]

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Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, School, Shounen, Slice of Life AIR Date: April 2, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Kiichi Hotta (manga) Episodes: 13
Producers: J.C. Staff Director: Mamoru Kanbe
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

Your favorite semi-bromantic, quite comedic, sweet-and-fluffy boys anime is back! Last season ended with a cute blast-from-the-past episode with Shun, Yuki, Yuta, Kaname, and Chizuru going back to their old kindergarten for work experience. While we got a fanatastic last episode, we were still left with some unanswered questions, especially towards their love lives (I mean, isn’t Shun going to end up with somebody?!). Hopefully this second season will show us what becomes of Chizuru’s crush with Masaki, and of the other love interests that have passed by last season. Of course along with new material, I do expect those classic Kimi to Boku moments that have melted fangirl hearts (especially mine) to be back, along with those entertaining cat snippets I have yet to fully understand. All in All, as one excited fangirl, I expect that this show will be just as good, or rather even better, than last season and continue to add extra sweetness into my week~.
// C O M M E N T S
Season one of Kimi to Boku surprisingly became a huge hit for me! I was going to skip that based on the original cover art, but I gave it a shot and I almost dropped it after i found how slow the series was…thankfully when they introduced Chizuru it suddenly became so hilarious! Seriously he gives this anime some high energy. I always pictured him as the twin sibling of Toshinou Kyoko from Yuru Yuri because both are blonde and so damn hyper, anyway I will have to check out season two.
Kyokai My Guilty Pleasure is back! I missed these boys, who are moe and bishie both. A hard combination to come by these days. I’m almost used to the random cats, which made me laugh like mad whenever a doll clip was shown in Another. But anyhow, I want to see some progress between the chibi girl and Chizuru because that was sweet and kind of heartbreaking. Also, some more twins bullying others please! O-ne-gai~

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Hoshi ] [ anaaga ]

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Genres: Comedy, Josei AIR Date: April 5, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Aloha Higa (manga) Episodes: Unknown
Producers: Pierrot Director: Mitsuyuki Masuhara
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: N/A

Oh, come on, you can’t tell me this isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. IT’S ADORABLE! HOW COULD WE NOT MENTION THIS!? So, let’s break down this crazy Polar Bear Cafe show. The only real impressive thing here to note are the seiyuus, who are all seasoned pros. Orihara Izaya and Araragi fans will recognize Hiroshi Kamiya’s voice, while Jun Fukuyama recently did work voicing Yukio and Gammon from Ao no Exorcist and Phi Brain respectively. Takahiro Sakurai is just in everything, believe me. But really, that’s the only thing carrying this vague concept. The director has dabbled in shows here and there, although I suppose he’s got the whole cute thing nailed down after directing some episodes of Chi’s Sweet Home and Chi’s New Address. Studio Pierrot is…alright. But hey, there’s cute things! Don’t you like cute things even if we know nothing about the “plot”? It’s animal moe, get with it!
// C O M M E N T S
Pfft. YES. See us fangirling like crazy? I guess, it’s because the original material is a comedy manga from a women’s magazine. This has win written all over it because it’s filled with a very bishie seiyuu cast, who will be fluffy and cute animals. Remember that cat video, I showed you? I might be purring while seeing every episode this. Also, an alert to the FukuJun fangirls, he’ll be singing the ending theme called, “Bamboo☆Scramble.” There was a seiyuu event recently on this as well so check the parts out on NND (Part 1, 2, 3 and 4). Yuuichi Nakamura has been added to the cast as Grizzly-san.
Amidst all this fangirling over this brilliant combination of seiyuus with cute animals, I’ve been reading that this is actually a josei manga, so I assume it won’t be as moe as some are thinking? If so, I think I can handle this. Also, you just can’t ignore the fact that Kamiyan is a penguin and Jun is a panda. How could you pass that up?!

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Kyokai ] [ Hoshi ] [ anaaga ]

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Genres: Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports AIR Date: April 7, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: Tadatoshi Fujimaki (manga) Episodes: 13
Producers: Production I.G Director: Production I.G
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

You know someone must be a good basketball player when the team they come from is nicknamed “The Generation of Miracles.” Kuroko not only played in this middle school team as an average player or a benchwarmer – everyone says he was their MVP. Oddly enough, no one seems to know much about him. When he joins the basketball team in highschool, everyone is shocked to discover that the supposed star player from “The Generation of Miracles” is a pipsqueak with less presence than a speck of dust on your shoe. It seems like his reputation was way off, but he possesses a secret weapon that may change everyone’s mind once it comes into play.
I can see the remixes of everyone’s favorite mash up of all time on Youtube! What might that be you say? Only the best group of all time!? Quad City DJ’s of course, so usually I take a big time pass at sports themed anime because I rarely have any interest in sports. However I have been to a real basketball game! And found it to be so exciting to watch, that said why not i’ll give this a shot who knows it might be fun or it might be dull. plus that main character looks a lot like freaking Ichigo from Bleach…I swear if he dunks and screams BANKAI! I will die from the laughs.

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Nobody wants this sports jam. If only Ness wasn’t on hiatus~ ]

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Genres: Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Martial Arts, Romance, Shounen AIR Date: January 2, 2012 WEBSITE
Original Creator: NisiOisin (manga) Episodes: 12
Producers: GAINAX Director: Shouji Saeki
Seiyuu: Show ▼

Trailer: Show ▼

You ever look at the suggestion box in your office and think, “what a useless piece of crap. Upper management doesn’t care.” Well, at Hakoniwa Academy which has a freshman beauty named Medaka Kurokami as its student council president, putting stuff in that box will get action taken. With her childhood friend Zenkichi Hitoyoshi as the only other member of the council to start, they work to solve the many problems of the school.

NisiOisiN, hmmm…. don’t expect Nisemonogatari levels of perverseness and head tilting and all that stuff. This is a Shounen Jump series so the most he’ll do is find ways to get Medaka to randomly strip down to bra and panties and show off her healthy body. This series apparently ranks lowly on the SJ rankings, so I decided to sample 10 chapters of the manga. I can get a sense as to why. It’s nowhere in the same league as Naruto, Bleach or One Piece since early chapters lack overpowered characters or even a sense of humor, but SJ series take so long before they truly start to hit their stride. If you’re going to stick with this show, Medaka will be the reason. I did enjoy reading her and seeing Akari’s art which also found ways to sneak in a pantsu shot. Aki Toyosaki is an interesting casting for Medaka so long as she plays it like Misaki Ayuzawa from Maid-sama.

Gainax is a popular studio name, but so many key staff members have moved on to studios like Trigger and whatnot that the name shouldn’t fool you into thinking we might get Lagann-level animation or anything of the sort. Like many SJ manga-turned-anime, this one needs a bigger batch of episodes before fully deciding to commit to the show or to leave it by the wayside. I’m not so sure the 10 chapters I read was enough, which probably means the series will not be making much progress and that the main draw is in watching Medaka being Medaka.

A few big names stand out here. Nisio Isin seems to be the big name in anime right now, and though I’m a fan of the Monogatari anime series, the novels have shown just how important Shaft’s adapting job was in making the anime so successful. And being an on-going manga, Medaka Box is not going to be able to have the wonderful complete storytelling like Katanagatari. But the adapting studio this time is Gainax. OK, Gainax is at its best when creating original works, but it’s still fucking Gainax, and it’s Shouji Saeki, episode director responsible for some true classics, including FLCL episode 5 and Strike Witches 2 episode 6 (aka the Sweet Duet episode), so I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

// O T H E R comments Show ▼

// POSSIBLY blogging: [ Jrow – First Impression]

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About

We are the deadly team of Metanorn. When together, we usually come up with long, informative reviews and commentary. After all, we take fangirling seriously!
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125 Responses to “Spring Anime Catalogue 2012”

  1. Metalsnakezero says:

    Nazo no Kanojo X will be a interesting anime on that it may change the idea of Hood being an complete ecchi studio. It getting some interesting people to make this plus a nice cast.

    • Kyokai says:

      I was just skeptical with the studio but liked the manga so definitely checking this out.

    • lvlln says:

      Whoa, I see that Hoods doesn’t have a lot under their belt, and Mysterious Girlfriend X would be by far the least perverted thing they’ve ever done. The voice actor for Mikoto is also all new. Not that the manga was amazing, but it had a solid premise, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Yeah I plan on giving Nazo no Kanojo X a shot! I wasn’t to blown away by the plot, but who knows it might be interesting to see ;D

  2. Spinarakk says:

    I find it hilarious that you guys put Medaka Box under romcom slice of life, never before have I seen such a misplacement of the manga’s true genre lol.

    • Kyokai says:

      It’s not misplacement but the presence of both Romance, Comedy and even school life that makes the RomCom Slice genre. There were just three titles part of Outcasts this time so to save pages, we put those three part of other categories like RomCom, SciFi and Mystery.

      • akagami says:

        I sort of agree with Spinarakk , I would classify Medaka Box as mainly action with comedy. It reminds me of Naruto – action/martial arts (with some comedy) shounen. I haven’t really seen any romance in the 100+ chapters I’ve been through. I would think it fits more under the “Action-packed Circuit” category.

  3. BlackBriar says:

    Yes!! Spring is here and body’s completely ready for it!! And there are so many shows to watch!!

    Phi Brain Season 2: I’m pumped to for this to get started. I’m so sorry I thought of the first season as a joke and nearly dropped it and now, it’s become one of my favorites. Another thing, I’ve never seen a long running series getting a sequel so quickly. It’s baffling.

    Kore wa Zombie desu ka: Of The Dead: The title still has me thinking of a parody of HoTD. Anyway, I’m currently being bombarded with nostalgia waiting for this and so looking forward to seeing Ayumu and the freeloading hot ladies again. But most of all, Yoko Hikasa being behind Seraphim’s voice again and verbally abusing Ayumu with variations of “Piece of Shit”. Seeing the trailer, Ayumu’s costume as a Maso Shoujo is different, more like the one he had when he faced the King of Night. Hahaha, Fosh, we finally get our wish of cross-dressing zombie, necromancer, magical girl and vampire ninja madness. It’s about time. And there’s an OVA?! I need to pace myself or I’ll die happy.

    Jormungand: Looks like a decent action show and the animation’s top notch. I’ll give it a shot. The two characters on the poster look like albinos that remind me of Deadman Wonderland’s Shiro. The female looks like a powerfully confident lead and it’s the first time I’ve heard of a child soldier element in an anime. So it’s a 12 episode show because it’s going to take a break and resume in Fall. What’s with this sudden trend? They did it to Fate/Zero and Rinne no Lagrange.

    Shining Hearts: It seems interesting and it has a role playing game feeling like the Final Fantasy or Golden Sun games.

    Accel World: This might actually turn out to be fun. Remember the surprise success of Kore wa Zombie desu ka? This might pull off the same upset. A little cyber anime might be a change of pace. What has me a little discouraged is the main character but he’s voiced by Yuuki Kaji and the butterfly girl is insanely hot and seems wise so I’ll bear with it.

    Eureka Seven AO: Another Eureka Seven? It’s a blast from the past. Thanks to Rinne no Lagrange and seeing a few episodes of the original series, I’m getting a little more into mecha. Bring it on.

    Haiyore! Nyaruko-san : Interesting. I might watch it since Eri Kitamura is leading.

    Fate/Zero 2: Finally!!! It’s time to see Caster bite the dust!! That wretch has lasted long enough!!! And Kyokai is blogging it again. I look forward to it, Kyo!!!

    Tasogare Otome x Amnesia: It has a nice eerie atmosphere around it with the town that is in ruins and probably deserted. I find myself drawn to this show. The girl who is supposedly a ghost seems more like a demon or Kogome from Inuyasha. Plus, maybe it’s just me but she looks like she has a lot of lust for the guy she’s with. I hope there’s a lot of horror in it and not just romance. I need something to fill the void that “Another” has left me with. More Eri Kitamura? Perfect!!

    Hyouka: Another mystery anime? Count me in!!

    Sankarea: Studio DEEN sure is getting into the zombie thing with Kore wa Zombie and this. It’s disturbing hearing the way the girl was brought back as a zombie. Since she’s undead and will probably still try to act human, I wonder if she’ll fight to resist consuming human flesh. Definitely on my list.

    Nazo no Kanojo X: Girl carrying scissors around wherever she goes? Is she a distant relative of Senjougahara? This I gotta see. LOL. She’ll drive that guy up a wall.

    Medaka Box: Sounds like Maji koi Shinasai but if Nisio is behind the story, it can’t be that bad. I’ll show leniency a give it a shot.

    “Another” OVA: HELL YES!!!!

    C³ OVA : The sweet things are always far away.

    • Kyokai says:

      You describe it well, how there are too many shows to check out! Spring is going to be a cincher for me but I’ll try to survive. I’m going to check out all the titles that you mentioned along with Tsuritama and Sakamichi no Apollon.

      And thank you for looking forward! I really would have a ball with Fate/Zero this season. :3

      • BlackBriar says:

        I’m going to feel overloaded once things get started. I might risk having to get an external hard drive for all the episodes I’ll be downloading. Spring always seems to be the busiest season and I can only imagine the trouble the bloggers are going to have with all the incoming First Impressions. LOL. Prepare yourselves!!!

        Yeah, I’ll be looking forward to it. You started blogging Fate/Zero so it’s only right that you finish the job even though they trolled us by pulling this season break stunt. That was such an anti-climatic cliffhanger.

        • Kyokai says:

          I’m pretty sure, even if we want, we won’t be able to cover all the Spring shows. Ufotable trolled us with quality gimmick so they better be ready to deliver; which I’m sure they are. 7th April is just too far away! ><

    • Hawthorne says:

      I thought the same thing looking as Shining Hearts! At first glance it seemed like a typical fantasy harem type show, but then I read a little more into it and it does sound like it could be an entertaining watch. All I know is that I’m definitely giving it a shot! ^^

      • BlackBriar says:

        I was reluctant to watch it at first but the trailer has given me a second opinion. I hope it turns out to be great even though there’s bearly any hype at all to it.

      • Kyokai says:

        I’m going to watch it for Kamiyan. Let’s see if it has more engagement than just the seiyuu.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Ahahah nice! I am glad you are prepared for this level of amazing <3

      Phi Brain Season 2: First season really sets you up for something amazing and often I find myself laughing more than anything, but season two voice cast!? OH MY GOD That alone has me interested ahahaha and I hope something happens "plot" wise.

      Kore wa Zombie desu ka: Of The Dead- You know what? I was thinking the same thing about the HoTD parody! Come on zombies and "of the dead" YES! I AM SO FREAKING READY! Oh how I have missed Kore wa zombie <3 <3 <3 and an OVA to go along with it.

      Eureka Seven AO: HELL YES! I can not wait to see that second series just avoid that movie it wasn't very good for the first series...anyway YES to mecha!

      Tasogare Otome x Amnesia: I read like ten chapters of the manga and found it to be interesting, but I have no idea what to really expect going into a anime series so I will experience something new.

      Sankarea: YES! YES AND YES! This might be the season of the zombie/ghost/supernatural stuff! That is another manga series I have kept up with so I can't wait to see it animated with music and voices.

      OVAS FOR THE WIN @Another and C3

      • BlackBriar says:

        Yeah, I’m pumped yet anxious. It’s like they just can’t come fast enough.

        Phi Brain Season 2: The first season started out as a joke for me then suddenly became awesome because, c’mon, puzzles as a plot that would be holding a show together? I thought the same thing about Yu-Gi-Oh! and Ben-To and look how pleasantly wrong I was about those two. Since important elements like the armlet and the scrolls have been crushed, I can’t begin to imagine how thing are going to start out.

        Kore wa Zombie desu ka: Of The Dead: The moment I heard we were getting more zombie fun, I was so out of it I swear I was beginning to foam at the mouth. What killed my patience was that it was announced since July last year and waited until now to start airing. I would have died of anticipation.

        Tasogare Otome x Amnesia: This looks like it’ll be an interesting ghost story though I’m not expecting it to surpass Shiki and Another in terms of horror because those two ruled without competition. It’s more like I’m hoping it’ll join its awesome ranks. Not to mention that it seems that the story will take place in an abandoned school. We need more creepy settings because it’s what helps sell the story.

        Sankarea: Yes, I think you’re right about this season. First it was vampires, then mechs followed by all out yuri in the past winter season and now it looks like zombies/ghosts/supernatural stuff! are getting their turn. I wan’t to see how this will turn out. Should be a nice way to burn some time.

    • BlackBriar says:

      Damn! I can’t believe I left out Blood-C: The Last Dark. I’m so ashamed!! I deserve a slap to the back of my head. This makes one of the two vampire movies I’m waiting on: this and Kizumonogatari. Two that I must watch. Since we’re done with the slice of life element, there better lots of blood and gore (emphasis on the blood). I saw the latest trailer and I must say the sexy vampire heroine just got so much sexier that I might start to compare her with Underworld’s Selene. Not to mention that the visuals are lovely. I.G Production and CLAMP certainly got a bigger budget to do this one.

      Not just Saya but an entire organization wants Fumito dead? Whoa, we knew the guy was underhanded scum but I didn’t think he’d be that bad. Then again, he had an entire town of people wiped out by giant bunnies for his amusement and to cover his trail. I still remember the graphic human blender. Ouch!!! I hope Saya finally gets her revenge.

  4. Hato-kun says:

    When the hell is Saki 2 airing.

  5. Alynn says:

    Oh right, its Spring.

    Mm let’s see what I will be watching…
    Show ▼

    • Foshizzel says:

      Yep Spring is here at last!

      Phi Brain 2: YES! I AM WITH YOU xD

      Tsuritaima: I can’t wait to watch fishing bros <3

      Hyouka: I am watching and drooling over the moe character designs and fantastic background artwork oh man so good.

      Nice choices.

  6. skylion says:

    No one can handle the Naiyore Moe? Rlly? No Nyarlathroderp? You know, I said I was wanting to try my hand at this, if none of you go for it I might want to step up to the plate.

    ::checks his calendar:: Oh, it might be a tight fit…

    • Foshizzel says:

      I might review the first episode of Naiyore! Expect to see a first impression floating around here after release xD

  7. skylion says:

    Wow, Yamato. OK, yes, this is old school, but it is something I have fond childhood memories of. I watched this back in the Spring of 1979. When it was syndicated, localized, dubbed (oh how we made fun of that dub) and called “Star Blazers” . I watched the recent live action film, and was under-impressed, so I actually have high hopes for this series. The PV’s look great, and got my old blood good and fired up.

    Looking forward to:

    Hyouka. Like many here, it has me at Kyoto Animation, and kept me there with that wonderful moeblob and her eyes.

    Accel World. I actually interested to see how they pull of the main character, Cartman-kun?

    As I mentioned above, Haiyore. I’m a Lovecraft fan from way back, a moe/kawaii/loli lover, and will always try out something quirky. The idea of “cosmic horror” unwanted girlfriend hit’s me in the middle of the ven diagram.

    Appolon. Yeah, I can’t add anything more other than TANK!

    Several other are of interest as well, so I will dip my toes in as time permits.

    • anaaga says:

      The only person who’s going to watch Yamato ;_____;

      • Kyokai says:

        I will watch it with you, no worries. xD

        • Kyokai says:

          Also, who got my Nichibros reference on the seiyuu part?

          • anaaga says:

            I didn’t get the reference… The picture of all three Nichibros seiyuu is great though. MY TOMOKAZU <3

            And yay I'm not alone for Yamato!

      • Ithekro says:

        You are not alone. Spread the word. The Space Opera is back. The one all the others were compared to.

        Yamato returns.

    • Foshizzel says:

      I have never seen any Yamato…minus the one time I saw Strike Witches Season two! Yeah I know TERRIBLE FOSH SO TERRIBLE…but my dad was talking to me one day about Star Blazers I want to see that random live action movie.

      Hyouka: YES! Even if the story turns out to be boring or lame I can say the artwork and character designs were fantastic and cute girls oh man that main girl…Hnnngggg…

      Haiyore: Yeah I never saw the short “series” they ran, but it does have me interested and I saw lots of cute character designs like the twin tail redhead? And of course the main girl.

      No Kore Wa zombie Skylion? 😀

      • skylion says:

        Yes, indeed Fosh, TERRIBLE.

        “…my dad was talking to me..Star Blazers”. Great, now I do feel old. I mean, I’m a Dad, too. But, man, Fosh, be a bro. Don’t rub it in!

        And I am with you on Hyouka. Moeblob’s eyes are moe.

        I haven’t found the time for the first series of No Kore? (at least that is what the lack of 100 percent seeds be tellin’ me). But once that get’s fixed, I’ll be there.

        • Foshizzel says:

          But Skylion! WE ARE YOUNG AT HEART <3

          So much moe blob hhnnngggg <3

          Ooooh nice! I had a lot of fun with season one of Kore wa zombie.

          • skylion says:

            Young at heart, yes. This is what happens when a geek/nerd hits mid-life. Shiny new cars. Got it. HOT GF? Dumped her, man. Bring on the animu.

            • BlackBriar says:

              Ouch! Hang on Skylion!! There’s still a lot of youth left in you and this is from a guy who has just reached his 20’s so you’re in the clear!!

            • skylion says:

              I’ve always been a kid at heart. But my Dad says that at my age, I can afford to coast a little. But then, that’s only because the ride is doooooownhill.

            • Kyokai says:

              skylion, give kore wa zombie a chance. It’s pretty awesome!

  8. Ceyrai says:

    Jormungand – I LOVE strong female leads. They’re what keeps me from losing hope in the anime industry. Also the music – I love Taku Iwasaki’s work in Katanagatari (and a long time ago, on the Rurouni Kenshin OVA), plus OMG Nagi! Been a big fan of her ever since her collab with supercell. It looks like this is my biggest must-watch anime of the season.

    Eureka Seven AO – YESSSS, this. The original series left a void in me, please let this one fill it. In any case, Ao looks like a descendant of Renton and Eureka (or could just be my shipping goggles) so that’s a plus for me. And it’s by BONES, dammit. This is going to be good. There are very few mecha anime that engage me, and Eureka Seven was one of them. I don’t think this is going to disappoint.

    Hyouka – This seems interesting. I mean, I’m not much of a mystery fan – most anime labeled “mystery” don’t feel mysterious at all. But I love the art and most of the time you can’t go wrong with novel adaptations. Will try this.

    Nazo no Kanojo X – AHAHAHA OMG. They finally decided to make an anime for this – what a pleasant surprise. It’s one of the very few ecchi series that doesn’t have a harem set-up so I actually liked this. Of course I dropped it a few volumes in but it was only because the art was jarring at times… but I can vouch for the story’s awesomeness. (Also, scissors-wielding was Mikoto’s schtick before it was Senjougahara’s. Heh.)

    Kimi to Boku. 2 – I watched the first season and fell in love. That is all.

    Not a bad crop, all in all. In any case, this is about the amount of anime my busy schedule can handle, so I’ll look forward to the aniblogs about the rest. Still disappointed that I still can’t see Durarara!! or Kuragehime Season 2 anywhere but I’ve come to expect that over the years… :/ Might check out the other series depending on how you guys will be blogging about them (and if I have the actual time, ahaha).

    Thanks for the catalogue, Metanorn! Awesome as always!

    • Foshizzel says:

      Jormungand- I have to say that series looks and feels so much like Canaan and a bit of Black Lagoon thrown into a blender and mixed together! So hopefully the gun play keeps me interested because who can pass up stuff blowing up? And chicks with guns.

      Eureka Seven AO: YESSS!! Another Eureka fan! You are scoring high points with me <3 Aye Bones and mecha themed anime are the perfect pairing for any anime.

      Kimi to Boku 2: HOORAY! I really was quite surprised that I started to enjoy that first season, but I admit at first glance I was like meeehhh all dudes seems to not fit my usual "style" of anime choice. However things got good in the middle and I was hooked! I even got my brother to watch with me xD

      Ahahaha a Durarara!! Season two announcement would cause us all to pass out from excitement.

      • Ceyrai says:

        YES. Chicks with guns. I’ve always loved the concept, I think ever since Gunslinger Girl. I actually want to be a chick with guns myself – one day I’ll take myself to a firing range for fun. 😛

        Hohoho, I SCORE. Whoohoo! <3 __<

        Also, I overlooked it but I didn't think Thermae Romae would ever get animated! I'm not much for its art but the manga was hilarious, so I might check this out as well. It 's definitely one of the weirdest manga out there, though – almost as weird as the new one with carp fish protagonists… okay I'll stop there.

        • lvlln says:

          I like girls with guns and child soldiers even more, but I feel like it’s such a common thing and so many have done it poorly. Would be great if Jormungand ends up anywhere near the quality of Gunslinger Girl, but I’m afraid it’ll end up more like Canaan or Noir…

      • Kyokai says:

        Thanks for the compliment, Ceyrai! We try. :3

        I would really love a second season of Durarara!!, Baccano! and Kuragehime right about now. I hope Omori finds time after finishing Natsume Shi recently. ><

  9. Samantha Zan says:

    So much sci-fi for the season!!! I think my main series is going to be Eureka Seven Ao, and maybe Zetman and Sankarea too. Can’t wait till they come out x3

    • Foshizzel says:

      OMG so much love for you! Eureka Seven AO and Sankarea are in my top five for best of the spring season.

  10. Amutofan123 says:

    Jormungand looks pretty awesome! Also, White Fox! I’ll definitely check this out.

    Zetman looks intense. o_o Eh, why not? I’ll add it to my list.

    I think I’ll enjoy Accel World. A fat main character, huh? I didn’t think those existed!

    Yeah, astronauts!!! Will be watching Uchuu Kyodai.

    Tsuritaima looks so quirky and weird, which is probably a good thing. Plus noitaminA + automatic watch,

    Also getting Another vibes from Tosogare Otome x Amnesia, which isn’t a bad thing. Will watch.

    Hyouka also had me at Kyoto Animation. I generally love their works and hopefully I will enjoy this as well.

    Sankarea sounds… interesting and I’ve heard good things about the manga, so I’ll at least check it out.

    Ah, Nazo no x Kanojo… I read the first couple of chapters and it’s kind of weird, but whatever. It’s on my list.

    Oh God, Sakamichi no Apollon. The anime I’m probably looking forward to the most. The premise sounds great.

    Acchi Kocchi looks generic, sounds generic, and will probably be generic. But I don’t care! I’ll watch just because it looks effin adorable and there is a megane guy.

    Gonna check out Natsurio Kiseki. Somehow, it reminds me of Tamayura, which I love to pieces.

    Kimi to Boku 2… will watch once I finish the first season. I kind of lost interest about halfway through for some reason.

    Shiro Kuma Cafe… All my favorite seiyuu are voicing cute animals? So watching.

    Nisio Isin and Gainax? Count me in! Medaka Box is on my list.

    Moe and guns. Honestly, I don’t really care about Upotte, but I want to see the transfer teacher. I don’t kow why, but a transfer teacher interests me more than girls with guns. A transfer teacher… huh.

    I hadn’t heard of Kimi no Iru Machi untill now, and the premise didn’t exactly catch my attention, but the trailer is so pretty! It’s got nice art, I may wath it if I hear something good aobut it.

    Moar Another!! Watching.

    Errr, so is the Mirai Nikku special going to be all about Mur Mur? Because if so… then I might just skip it.

    Kooooobaaaatooooooo!!! <33333

    Momo e no Tegami looks amazing. I can't wait to see it.

    Meh, I like watching movies, so I'll probably watch Nijiro Hotaru Eien no Natsu Yasumi.

    Oh, that's a lot. ._. When am I going to find time to watch everything?

    • Foshizzel says:

      Jormungand: Looks amazing and chicks with guns! YES PLEASE.

      Tsuritaima: I am actually excited to see that mostly thanks to the cool art style and Gintoki voice! <3

      Hyouka also had me at Kyoto Animation. < THIS 100% Kimi to Boku 2: I am ready to laugh my ass off and also shed manly tears...yes...manly freaking tears. Amazing list! Good luck!

      • Kyokai says:

        Hey Fosh, moe girls with guns. You will find Upotte to your liking. 😉

        • skylion says:

          The vocabulary nerd is hitting me here. A gun is a large weapon; think howitzer or a larger than 30 mm emplacement on a field or a battleship or larger sea going vessel. What these girls are is: weapons or side-arms. Personal weapon or self defense side arm to be really precise. This has been your only otaku warning.

  11. Joojoobees says:

    Natsuiro Kiseki: funny thing about this series is that the 4 girls look like an older version of the 4 friends from Ichigo Mashimaro. From left to right in the picture above: Ana, Chika, Miu, and Matsuri. I might watch the first episode just to see if a Nobue character shows up.

    Apollon: Well this is the real thing. I simply can’t wait. Not that there aren’t other shows of interest this season, but come on! This is gonna rock! errr… swing!

    • Hawthorne says:

      I didn’t think of that! XD They do though, especially the Ana and Matsuri look-alikes, it’ll be even funnier if there personalities match up too.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Natsuiro Kiseki: I just saw the first pre-air episode! There are some fun characters and a few annoying bratty characters of course and I have high hopes for dramaaaaaa happening mid season.

    • Kyokai says:

      Jazz hands y’all, JAZZ HANDS! xD

  12. Reaper says:

    Oh dear, so much new anime to watch and wait in anticipation! Ah, there goes my social life… 😛
    Bring it on!

    • Foshizzel says:

      Ahahah yep pretty much! Just until you weed out the ones you don’t enjoy of course.

    • Kyokai says:

      Whatever I had, it’s ALL GONE NOW. Oh why Spring, WHYYYY.

    • BlackBriar says:

      I understand your pain. There goes whatever little extra time I have between school and work. But I say bring it on!! Shouldn’t be so bad once we all sort out the good shows from lame ones. The challenge is that it’s such a big list this time around.

  13. The_Magus_Killer says:

    I am looking forward to the special Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou episodes. Maybe I’ll get more part-time work (i.e. Magus-killing) just to buy the DVD/BD. Haha.

    What I’ll be watching this Spring 2012 Anime Season:

    1. Fate Zero Season II (I’ve been waiting three months for this! My wish will finally be granted)
    2. Mysterious Girlfriend X (I want to see Urabe Mikoto’s “Panty Scissors” Finishing Move animated)
    3. Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? OF THE DEAD (That is not a kick!)
    4. Accel World (SUNRISE anime, ’nuff said)
    5. Uchuu Kyodai (a.k.a. The Daily Lives of Space Bros?)
    6. Queen’s Blade Rebellion (I watch it for the plot, promise XD)

    • Foshizzel says:

      Same here we need more Nichibros in our lives.

      Sweet list!

      Kore wa zombie of the Dead?! I am so damn excited! WHERE ARE YOU EPISODES?

  14. Momogoldfish says:

    …excuse me…does anyone know when Ufotable will get around to making this?

    http://blog-imgs-15.fc2.com/y/a/r/yaraon/ds_20120401010102.png

    • Kyokai says:

      I would actually look forward to this rather than Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. >.>

    • lvlln says:

      I’m looking forward to seeing how these 2 die. Hopefully it will be suitably epic. I’ll be annoyed if Waver survives, because he seems too innocent and pure a character to live through to the end.

      • Kyokai says:

        I know the answer but I won’t spoil. I can tell you one thing everyone knows though, Broskander is one awesome dude.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Looks and feels like a bad April fools joke xD

  15. Myst says:

    I am so excited for this Spring Season! Here are the shows that I’m planning to watch:

    1. Eureka7 AO – I really hope that this one will be able to capture the magic of the original which I loved.
    2. Hiiro no Kakera – I’m watching this because I’m curious to see what a shojou series is like. But, I don’t have much hope that this will be good.
    3. Shining Hearts – Here’s another one I don’t have a lot of hope for. The premise looks completely generic and I’ve never been a fan of amnesia or emotionless girls. That said, I absolutely love fantasy stories, so I’m definitely going to give this one a try.
    4. Jormungand – Grim action show with a strong female lead? Count me in! I’ve heard good things about the manga so I’m hoping that the anime will do just as well.
    5. Ozuma – only six episodes, but from the first few episodes that have aired I’m already enjoying what it has to offer. Not fond of the leads currently, but the badass female captain is totally awesome.
    6. Zetman – Another dark action show? Score! And it doesn’t look like this is going to be taking place in a highschool!
    7. Fate/Zero – MY BODY IS LADY.

    • Foshizzel says:

      Eureka7 AO- Yep! I loved the original series and I have extremely high hopes for season two! Not to mention amazing music in season one.

      Fate/Zero- I think every body is ready for that.

  16. The_Magus_Killer says:

    Guys and Gals on Metanorn, I’ve already watched Episode 1 of Uchuu Kyodai. It’s good. The animation style looks dated but the premise actually works! Made me think about my childhood when I was interested in Dinosaurs and becoming an Astronaut.

    Fast Forward to the Present Day: I am taking BS Geology as my undergraduate course. From being interested in Space to being Earth-bound. Ironic, yes? XD

    Daily Lives of Space Bros FTW! XD

  17. tatsuya says:

    NICE ~~ ( ´ ▽ ` )ノ

  18. Bob from Accounting says:

    Argh! So much potential awesome! How am I going to make time? I’m half-hoping some of this turns out disappointing so I can drop ’em without regret.

    Fate/zero second part: Hell yes! Time for more of the unmitigated brilliance that is Anime Alexander the Great!
    Kids on the Slope: Words cannot express how excited I am. They just can’t.
    Tsuritaima: I liked [C]. And fishing meets sci-fi with a possible light sprinkling of homolust looks like a winning formula to me.
    Hyouka: KyoAni. Classical literature. Mysteries. Sign me up.
    Ozuma: Looks interesting, and at six episodes doesn’t require much commitment. I need to get on this shit soon.
    Zetman: Looks pretty badass.
    Medaka Box: No idea how this’ll turn out. Will watch to find out.
    Jormungand: Hadn’t heard of this until now but I hearted Steins;Gate and that lead looks like a boss, so…
    Spacebros thingy: Maybe, maybe…
    Dusk Maiden of Amnesia: Shows promise. But then that’s what I was thinking about Another at this point and look how that turned out.

    Good Lord. And that doesn’t take into account any possible surprise hits.

    • Kyokai says:

      I’m with ya. I don’t know how the hell I will manage TIME! Do I need a time turner or something?!

      You have my top 5 picks on your list already and yeah:

      Kids on the Slope: Words cannot express how excited I am. They just can’t.

      I fail to describe my enthusiasm for this besides Fate/Zero, which I’ve been craving since last year! Too good a season, I’m going to have a very hard time. ><

  19. skylion says:

    Just saw a pre-air of Natsuiro.

    I forgot to mention that I was really looking forward to this, so I had some expectations. First, great pop music by sphere. Second, lovely character design. Third, a plot that didn’t try to hard, but would relax let the story unfold.

    The OP is a bit lacking, none of the dynamism I expected based on past work (Hazy from Hanasaku being one of my all time best loved pieces), but the ED more than makes up for that.

    Character design is well developed, but we see some doppleganging with the Index series (shared designer). I can comment on the quality of animation as this is a pre-air (boy, I got a bunch of fuzz).

    We have a slice of life story. It doesn’t have to be ambitious. But it has to have it’s own unique hook. In Tamayura, we had the beginning of new friendships in a new place. Here, we are in a transition story. It looks like things are going to end before they begin. Then a wish comes true. Nice hook.

    • skylion says:

      Geez, having a bad morning, too much stuff going on around me. The seiyuu.
      Natsumi (Kotobuki Minako) is made of some of the dignity Tsumugi from K-ON, but with a bit more fire.
      Saki (Takagaki Ayahi) has some elements of Mitsuba (Eldest from Mitsudomoe) with a big old dash of Chris from Symphogear. Will we see some tsundere histrionics? Oh, I think we will.
      Yuka (Tomatsu Haruka) has almost none of her Princess Serenity, some of the goofiness in her Anaru (Ano Hana), but mostly the enthusiasm of Nagi from Kannagi.
      Rinko. It’s Yui from K-ON, not being Yui at all. She plays it quiet, but with a dash of her head in another world.

      Oh, and I must correct something from above “I can’t comment on the animation yet, as this is pre-air”. Just cut, copy and paste that…

    • Hawthorne says:

      Good to know! I’ve really been looking forward to this and I’m glad to hear there’s great music too, that’s one of the aspects of the show I’m most looking forward to in the OP/ED, as well as a relaxing pace. From what you described the characters sound incredibly interesting. o.o

      I’m tempted to watch the pre-air … but I feel like it’s probably better to wait for the better quality release. I’m torn! XD

      • skylion says:

        Seeing that enjoyed the pre-air so much, with it’s very fuzzy quality, I would assume that the quality release would be much more enjoyable. I need the OP to grow on me a bit more.

        Good to know you’ll be part of watching it, I’ve heard some negative comments about it already, most of it pretty silly and hater-ish.

    • anaaga says:

      Does it have the same vibe with Tamayura? The plot execution ? How about the characters?

  20. Gecko says:

    Of course I look forward to Spring: it’s the only time we have perfectly balanced weather here in SoCal!

    Are you kidding? I live in SoCal as well, and it’s never balanced. Spring is the silliest season- summer is hot, winter is cold-ish, fall and spring are just random junk weather thrown together.
    As for the anime, Jormungand doesn’t sound bad- the “strong female lead” is definitely pulling me in. I’m ready for a girl who can stand for herself. Not to mention the plot sounds pretty cool. The weapons aren’t really drawing me in, but if the plot is good enough I’ll ignore them.
    Tsuritama sounds funny, but if there isn’t something promising in my eyes, I’ll probably drop it.
    Hyouka sounds great! I don’t even know why! It’s sooo pretty, even in the trailer!
    Shiro Kuma Café… I shall watch it, even if it is a little weird. Here I come, Penguin-san!!!! And look, Lelouch is the panda. It’s perfect.
    Thermae Romae: well, looks like the mini-architect in me is ready for something like this! Can’t wait to see what this has in store….
    And I guess that’s it for me. I get the feeling I’ll really end up only watching all of Hyouka and Shiro Kuma Café, since the other two are kind of only half-appealing to me, but oh well~ Lots of crazy things happen for me right around this time, so it’s probably best if I limit myself.

    • Hoshi says:

      ~Really? Maybe it depends on the city/town? Where I live it’s mostly 70 degrees with clear/semi-clouded skies in Spring with occasional rain fall. Fall is our silliest season as it randomly goes from ridiculously cold to ridiculously warm (I’m pretty sure we can agree summer is just always excruciatingly hot lol).

      It seems the “strong female lead” thing is pulling everyone in for Jormungand, and Lelouch as the panda is just…just so WONDERFUL~.

      • Gecko says:

        Yeah, perhaps it does depend on the city/town. I probably live in the most mild region, except for that one time when we had hail, thunder, and sun all in 20 minutes. I just know that spring means random weather, every day, from rain to sun, within the week. It might just be this spring though. But my general memories are basically: “Can I wear jeans? Yes, but then I’ll get hot… No, I’ll be too cold. Dang it, what am I supposed to do….???” Fall is shorts and jeans later; winter is jeans; summer is shorts and sweat lol.

    • akagami says:

      Cold? SoCal is cold? I have a piece of East Coast snow weather I would like to sell to you. =P

      I so want to move to Cali eventually because it has sun, hot, and beaches. Awesome combo.

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