Meta Team’s Spring Anime 2017 Picks

Time for our Spring 2017 Picks!

winter15-kyoIt’s Spring already!How fast is time going anyways? Interestingly for the first time, even when we are not going through Spring here, it’s still pretty warm and technically not Winter for a change. Easter is just round the corner so are you planning on taking some time off? I sure need some as work has been quite tiring and I need some time to finish FFXV. That’s right, it’s addictive as hell and the Japanese voice cast doesn’t help. Anyways, another anime season and this time with lots of sequels. I am looking forward to continuation of Uchouten Kazoku, Natsume Yuujinchou, Bahamut, Shingeki no Kyojin and Boku no Hero Academia. It baffles me that there are so many CGI based anime on the list but I guess it’s expected with the technology at hand and making production more cost-effective. Let us know your Spring picks and below are Meta team’s.

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winter15-foshGoodbye Fall anime season! It’s time to head into the Winter anime season, but thankfully the only series I liked from Spring, Little Witch Academia continues through! So what series am I looking forward to next?! My most hyped series would easily be Boku no Hero Academia 2 because I love the manga and enjoyed the first season. Besides that I can’t wait to see Re:CREATORS, Shingeki no Bahamut: VIRGIN SOUL, ATOM: THE BEGINNING, Tsugumomo and Twin Angel BREAK.

[ Boku no Hero Academia 2] What can I really say about this series that you don’t already know?! If you saw the first season and loved it I assume you are just as hyped as me to see this cast of super powered characters return and some new characters we haven’t seen yet, but aside from that I know the first half of the anime might focus on the huge tournament arc from the manga which was an awesome arc because you finally get to see some of the powers in action. Hopefully that isn’t the only arc to get animated! I know the villains really up their game after the tournament stuff; however my memories of those chapters are a bit off on that or will Bones ignore those important events and focus on some original anime content? We shall see.
 
[ Re:CREATORS ] Yes to echo Irene this series is coming from the same studio that gave us the mess of whatever the hell Aldnoah Zero gave us which has some of us worried, but hey if that keeps you from even giving this a shot then good for you I guess? Say what you will of TROYCA’s previous work; however when it comes to amazing visuals at least they are good at that when the time calls for it! Anyway as far as what RE:Creators is I guess in short its sort of a moden-ish take on Fate/Stay? Instead of summoning great heroic people from history the characters of RE:Creators summon “heroes” from light novels, anime, manga and I assume original character drawings? I think that is the case with the magical girl Mamika Kouki? Seeing all that from the third preview looked like a entertaining idea! Now as to WHY they are gonna fight each other I have no clue so I guess we’re going to have to watch and find out!

[ ATOM: The Beginning ]For those that did not know this is actually a prequel to the 1980’s anime and 1950’s manga Tetsuwan Atom aka Astro boy; however that was a bit before my time so I don’t have a clue about that series since I never watched it, but I assume it’s a robotic take on Disney’s Pinocchio or are we in for more of a Mega Man story with robots killing other robots? Who knows? So if that sounds a bit interesting you might give this one a shot? That said since this is technically “the beginning” we’re all going to learn about how things eventually lead to Astro Boy.

[ ID-0 ] 3D CG anime are all the rage and ID-0 is coming from SANZIGEN who have done stuff like Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova, Miss Monochrome and Bubuki Buranki now were they great anime? Not really, but for me it was kind of interesting to see the progression for their 3D CG works especially on the second season of Bubuki Buranki! So with ID-0 im sort of expecting it to be the same or somewhat better their older series; however I often hear more complaints on the stories for these various 3D anime and not so much the quality of “animation” and the only thing I gathered for what ID-0 is was two girls in space working together with one as a pilot and the other doing something else? Either way i’m curious.

[ BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS ] If you’re following Naruto at all you might know Shippuden just finished airing episode 500 which is the final episode or maybe you already saw Boruto: Naruto the Movie? I have and thought it was an interesting way to pass the torch to Naruto’s kid Boruto, but to get a bit real I feel this is going to just be a lazy copy and paste job especially since Boruto acts 80-90% like his dad and even his team members Sarada and Mitsuki echo how Sakura and Sasuke were back in the day? Hell Sarada Uchiha is the freaking daughter of Sakura and Sasuke yes spoilers those two hooked up! I won’t spoil who Mitsuki is related to, but i’m sure the first few episodes of Boruto will explain where all these new ninjas come from. With that said maybe you’ve always been curious about Naruto and missed the chance to read or watch it? Then congratulations welcome to Naruto! If so enjoy the ride! You’re in for a LONG shounen adventure, but for the rest of us we might not jump in for more Naruto…

Possibly Blogging: Boku no Hero Academia 2 // Re:CREATORS

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winter15-skylionMy locality had one of the most mildest of winter’s on record, so the typical thaw isn’t so much. But despite the lack of freezing chill, anime always springs eternal. Of course, I don’t downplay seasons, as seems fashionable, so I’ve found a whole bunch more than just a couple worth watching no matter when they arrive in the year. So, we’ve got one heck of a full slate coming up for the next three months, and it’s a pretty good mix. It’s time for fantasy to rock out with it’s tropes out, and we have some spin-offs, and then some returns of favorite creators and franchises, add some slice of life stuff, that’s always welcome on my slate, and we got’s ourselves a Spring 2017~

[ Tsugumomo ] It was way back in mid-August of 2014 when I did my review of the first volume of the Tsugumomo manga. At that time, like many fans of their favorite source material, I was anxious to see an adaptation of that material into a weekly anime broadcast. So after lots of bit and pieces of news here and there since the announcement nearly a year ago, the time has come at last. Suffice it to say, I’m covering this show, and I will do a fuller impression when the time comes. But for right now, I’ll just say for the record: it’s finally here, and I’m happy and excited. But further, I’m curious to see what the AIC Productions spinoff studio Zero-G is capable of doing with this very ecchi and action-packed work. Fans of Toraburu, be on alert…

[ Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho] OK, it’s pretty much official that I’m addicted to White Fox studios fantasy shows. Akame ga Kill was a very fun ride all things considered; yes it was too cute by half most of the time and way to earnest about it’s we’re so totally a seinen show, we swear almost-seinen but totally shounen attitude. Now, I did love me two seasons of RE: Zero quite a lot despite my bickering about the shape it took during the middle of the second cour. I also enjoyed their take on magical girls via Soushin Shoujo Matoi, even after abandoning my weekly coverage. That’s a lot of complaining, but I watched and loved all three! From the outset, Zero looks exactly like my cup of fantasy tea. It’s got a loli magic user as the title character, a big and gruff adorbsball of a supporting character, and a mysterious world begging to be explored. Now having said that, I’m sure the plot will be as wonky and troperiffic as any fantasy anime, and I’m sure I’ll have plenty to say after the first episode airs.

[ Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria]You know, I think my only real complaint about the parent series that this one spins-off from is that it just didn’t stick the landing. Whatever thematic structure they were working from got lost in a morass of supporting characters, and those didn’t add to the two leads, and it just ended up feeling aimless, and I was somewhat confused and angry So, like Highway, I’m hoping that the focus on one of most talked about, but ironically less featured, supporting characters can give this promising story turned franchise the lift it needs. I like the basic structure, and I think you can do an Insane Amount of Creative work with the world building if you had a creator willing to lean into that fully. Here’s hoping.

[ Alice to Zouroku ] Taken from ANN: …a group of young girls who hold a power named “Alice’s Dream,” which allows them to make their imaginations come true. These girls have been locked up and treated as research subjects. Sana, one of these girls whose specific power includes the ability ignore the laws of physics and physically manifest anything she can imagine, has escaped. Afterwards, she meets an old man named Zouroku, who dislikes disruptions in his everyday life. So yeah, we got more fantasy, but this time it’s in our own world. I have to admit a git of guilty pleasure in watching needy characters and the people they frustrate; and that’s what you get from the PV material – needly loli, cranky old fart. But, the potential for those genuine slice of life people moments I’ve come to appreciate, and the goofy-sweet sparks that can come from such relationships are high – and with just a little forgiveness you can be paid back more than full with a well-crafted show’s charm and grace. Or it could devolve into a horrible ball of shame and terrible. But, let’s see what magic J.C. Staff can work on with this.

[ Eromanga Sensei and maybe even Clockwork Planet ] Well, Eromanga Sensei gets beaten on for being an Oreimo clone, and it’s even made by the same writer, no less. I’ve read enough of the manga to be able to say that that isn’t really the case. It’s tonally similar and the characterization and basic approach fit that as well But just after the first scratch, you can see that it’s defining quality is based on a slightly deeper dive into a theme. Yes, that theme of otaku-LN-writer-artist as creative genius is taken from Oreimo, but here the absurdity of that high strung type of popularity contest and it’s hot-takes on the making and break of youthful ego is it’s own animal. That being said, yeah, it’s a response to the response to the response of Oreimo, so it can’t help but adhere to it. But for me it’s an evolution on some of those theme and tones, so I’m happy to see how it will play out in TV form. As for Clockwork Planet? Well, I very much enjoy the clockpunk, steampunk, alt-punk art design, so let’s see what anime can do with it this time…Oh, it’s Xebec? Niiiiice….

Possibly Blogging: Tsugumomo// Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho // Alice to Zouroku

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winter15-highwLike the sands through the hourglass, so go the seasons of our anime. Ok, so no one will get that reference (I DOOOOO!) But time inevitably passes and we move from season to season, never to end, only to find a transient place to light. I know people put extra weight on the spring anime season, but to me it’s really just another opportunity for good shows, just like every other season.

[ Sakura Quest ] The look of a PA Works show will always draw me in, and the idea of locals doing what they can to raise the profile of their town or province in a good way is something that has worked well for me in anime. I really liked Locodol, which was normal girls doing their best for their town, and that’s been the basic plot of Love Live! as well. The only show that was disappointing with that basic plot was KumaMiko, and that was fairly horrible for a completely different single reason. But in Sakura Quest, we have people elevated to the honorary position of Queen for tourism purposes. I’m interested to see how it will be handled with the different girls and if the show can make those emotional connections that I usually get out of a PA Works show. The director is new to the studio, tho, so we’ll see how much of the common DNA of a PA Works show comes through.

[ Uchouten Kazoku 2 ] Speaking of rather uncommon PA Works shows, after 3 and a half years, a second season of Uchoten Kazoku is on tap for this season. And even rarer is the fact that there are two PA Works shows in a single season. I do wonder if one or both is mostly completed far ahead of schedule, as it’s well over their usual workload, but they have not had any shows for the last two seasons, so they’ve most likely been working on both of them. Uchoten Kazoku is a series that is kind of an odd fit for PA Works in a couple of ways. The first is that the art style is very distinctive, not one that you’d usually associate with the studio. The second is that it employs a very straightforward but completely effective storytelling manner, expanding on and clarifying the basic outlines of the story as it goes. Perhaps it’s the most story-driven PA Works show, and it would be great if it continued that way, especially with the “Show, don’t tell” manner that has been employed before.

[ Frame Arms Girl ] I figure there will be no one else picking this show, but it’s one that I’m interested to see what they do with it. An original story that’s not really based on anything except a toy line of small fighting robots, I have no idea what to expect. But I do see that it’s to be directed by Keiichirou Kawaguchi, one of those veteran directors who seems to have a lot of shows that you think of and go “oh yeah, that was worth watching.” Shows like Mayo Chiki and Oshiete! Galko-chan. Nothing great, but still might be fun to watch, and sometimes shows with little robots are a lot of fun, like with Busou Shinki.

[ Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria ] Dumping the previous main character from “You Can’t Meet Girls in a Dungeon” seems, to me, a great idea. We’ll see how changing the focus character from Bell Cranel and Hestia to Aiz Wallenstein can change the story. I definitely liked Aiz more as a character than Hestia, as lower energy and less neediness is going to be better for me. Whether it turns out to be as good of a story is a different thing, tho.

[ Sin: Nanatsu no Taizai ] I don’t know why this is in the list. TNK shows are almost always terrible, usually from cringingly bad (Blade Dance) to unwatchable (Daimidaler). Even the one property that they’ve done not too badly, High School DxD, is mostly good “in comparison” to other harem ecchi shows. But for some reason, I want to give this one a try, and hope that it will be good to watch. Can it make good use of the aspects of the 7 deadly sins that it’s using? Will it make good use of the character designs it’s taking from the source game (?)? Or will it just be terrible. I never want a show to be terrible, that’s for sure.

Possibly Blogging: Sakura Quest //Uchouten Kazoku 2 // Dungeon 

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spring15-irenesWe finally are beginning to emerge from the winter season, and it’s been grueling, with many a series taking quite a bit out of me. But we are finally breaking into spring. Flowers are blooming, the sun is coming back from its winter vacation, and I can only wait with excitement for the summer that will follow. This season is stacked with many heavy hitters coming out, and I am really, really excited to see what this season has in store.

[ Boku no Hero Academia 2 ] A few seasons ago, I had decided to check out Boku no Hero on simply a whim. Fosh and a few others had suggested it but reading about it and looking at the PV, the designs had turned me off and I wasn’t looking for a stereotypical shonen series, having kind of grown out of my Naruto/Bleach age. However, in only one episode, I was hooked. The characters, the plot, the feels, it was just all so wonderful! A mix of Japanese style shonen and American style superhero culture, it has the best parts of both these world and I can’t wait to see the story continued with Deku and friends as they continue to train to be heroes and the villains that they will come to face along the way. And my favorite aspect of the series being the mentor/student, almost big/little brother relationship between All Might and Deku, and how that continues to develop will be one thing I am looking forward to in particular. As I usually do for a series I’ve started via anime, I haven’t looked at any of the manga, not wanting spoilers. And while I’ve inadvertently heard some things about this new season, I have allowed myself to mostly stay spoiler-free.

[ Shingeki no Kyojin 2 ] Well, well, well, look who’s back after making an international tour around the world and becoming one of those rare anime phenomenons that has caused even general audiences to know its name. Attack on Titan has FINALLY decided to debut its sequel season. You can congratulate me in that I had not even watched the new PVs or looked at any promotional material other than a poster or two. I have been determined to not spoil myself and only have looked at the anime and nothing else. I am happy to be going into this next season completely blind and seeing what this series is going to offer in this go round. I really liked Shingeki no Kyojin and I am hyped to see all my favorite characters from the Recon Corps (you can call it Survey Corps or whatever you want to, but I stick to what I like) return and to look more at the mysteries of the Titans and to explore more and more of this world.

[ Shingeki no Bahamut 2: Virgin Soul ] Ah, the little series that no one thought could, at least at the beginning. With video game animes and especially those based on mobile games being maligned by pretty much all fans, Shingeki no Bahamut: Genesis was a surprise treat and instantly became that one exception that everyone will point to in years to come of a mobile game adaptation that actually worked. This is in no small part to the writing, the animation, and the wonderful main characters of Kaiser and Favaro. So, while this series will be taking place ten years after the end of last season, with a new main character and plot, I still trust it as I am fascinated in all the possibilities of stories that it could tell. Everything that I have seen of the new series thus far looks good and I am interested in seeing where it all goes. Oh and also, I know Kaiser and Favaro are no longer our main leads, but come on, we have to get at least one: FAVARROOOOO!

[ Re: CREATORS ] One of only two original series on my list. I am hesitant on this one. On one hand, it’s about literature and mecha and action all in the same bundle with a score by Sawano? Count me in! On the other hand, this is being made by the same studio, with the same director (though different writer) as well as of course Sawano returning, as “the series that shall not be named”, which gives me pause, especially with it also being a mecha series. I’m going to hesitantly check it out though, especially since it was created and is being written by the same creator/writer of Black Lagoon. The idea of the series seems fascinating, and the animation seems very good so I’m interested in at least checking it out.

[ Seikaisuru Kado ] This series is one that I think might be a sleeper for the season. Whether it will be a hit or not, though? Well that is still up for debate. It’s title roughly translates to, “The Right Answer”. The “right answer”, huh? Somehow that gives me “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” vibes. What is “the right choice”? And this series itself looks like it’s going to be one of those sci-fi series that’s going to go for a political/social commentary on Japanese life. In fact, the more I look at what we’ve been given the summary and PV material, it seems like a weird modern serial version of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” but taking place in Tokyo rather than Washington D.C. this time. I’m one of the miniscule amount of people that prefer the 2008 version to the classic 1950s one (blasphemy, I know…:P ), but the core of the message is one that can be appreciated no matter which fan you are. And if this show is trying to do that, I’ll be interested in where it goes. We have a strange alien being that looks human enough coming to Earth, he makes a big splash in his debut and says that he and his people are going “interfere in Japan’s internal affairs”… Interesting…though I have to give pause to why an entire alien race for come down and reveal itself to only deal with Japan’s internal affairs. I think they would think a little bigger than that…but hey, what do I know?

Possibly Blogging: Shingeki no Deux // Seikaisuru Kado

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spring17-oc
This seems to be the season of sequels. Usually that means a bunch of meh shows somehow squeaked by with enough sales to get another season, but this time we’ve got an all-star line-up. Impressive! As for the new stuff…well…some of it might be okay?

[ Uchouten Kazoku 2 ]Come on, Benten is my icon, of course I’d pick this as my #1! Uchouten Kazoku was one of those shows I thought was okay when it aired, but has managed to stay on my mind and become more favourable as time went by. It was particularly charming show with a real sense of magic to it. It’s hard to explain, but watching a family of wily, transforming tanuki try to live an ordinary life in a world that’s anything but that really worked. The main problems weren’t widescale magical brawls, but more core, emotional tensions that were tearing the family apart. My only worry is that I don’t know where they have left to expand from the ending of season 1. We’ll just have to see what they come up with.

[ Shingeki no Kyojin 2 ] A fan favourite, I’m sure tons of people are frothing at the mouth in anticipation for this sequel. Do you know how many people I’ve seen just casually wearing Survey Corps jackets on the street? (The answer is “a lot” in case you need a hint). It’s become so popular that I almost feel like pulling a hipster move and removing myself from the fandom out of embarrassment. Despite this, I can’t help but admit that I’m excited for another season. It’s an extravagant action series that indulges in torturing its characters in all sorts of creative and dramatic ways. It lingers on death and gore, treating them like money shots. It almost reaches goofy levels of self-seriousness as opera music booms in the background while a poor little boy gets violently chewed up by a grinning Titan. It’s such an edgelord show, but I can’t deny that I love that absurd cheesiness. Bring on the drama!

[ Natsume Yuujinchou Roku ] I’ve seen a lot of people getting excited over some of the sequels coming out this season on twitter, but I haven’t seen any buzz about the latest Natsume Yuujinchou. I actually didn’t even know we were getting another season until, like, 5 minutes ago when I started writing this thing. We’re already on season 6, so there’s honestly not much I can say to longterm fans (you know the drill by now: heartfelt youkai stories that make you cry tears of joy or sorrow) or to newbies (uh…you up for binge-watching 5 seasons over the next couple of weeks to catch up..?). So, just to speak for myself, I’m incredibly pleased to see that this show is doing well enough to get more airtime!

[ Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul ] Season 1 was the adaptation of a phone game, and at the time I thought MAPPA was crazy for doing this. But then they did the unthinkable and pulled it off, creating a fun, adventurous romp through a fantasy world with stylish animation to boot. I couldn’t explain the plot to you if I tried (err…there was a Cerberus girl who was cute? Dragons? Demons? A quest for something?) but it wasn’t really about the end goal, it was about the journey. At least, that’s my excuse for the vague description. A 10 year timeskip means we get to keep the characters we know and love, and yet still see them in a new light as they frolic off on a new quest.

[ Sakura Quest ] The only non-sequel on my list…although I was attempted to put Boku no Hero Academia 2. I ended up going for Sakura Quest because it’s another workplace drama by PA Works, and based on Shirobako, I’d say they know how to pull those off perfectly. They’ve taken the seemingly boring subject of a tourism board and created a whole anime about it. Normally, I wouldn’t even watch the first episode of a dull premise like this, but I know we’re in good hands.

Possibly Blogging: Uchouten Kazoku 2 

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winter15-kara
Winter season was pretty great, but I’m more than ready for spring …Or maybe this is just me trying to escape all of the homework I need to do for the winter semester of school. Anyways, Clockwork Planet should be nice, fun escapism at least! As for the rest, I’ll do my usual thing and pick up series as the season goes on.

[ Clockwork Planet ]My main reason for enthusiasm towards this anime is that the series was written by the same author as No Game No Life (Yuu Kamiya). I love the characters from NGNL, the humour, and even the shameless fanservice, so I’m really excited to see what Kamiya can do in a totally different setting. I’m at least hoping for the same unconventional problem solving that NGNL employed… Or if not, I’m sure I’ll find some sort of enjoyment from Nanjo (better known as the voice actress for Eli Ayase) voicing the main character. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her in a shota role before. Plus Soraru and Mafumafu seem to be doing the ED, which is nice.

[ Zero Kara Hajimeru Mahou no Shou ] Much like skylion, I quite like White Fox’s fantasy anime. The story itself seems kind of vague, only really explaining that a witch and a half-beast half-human are going on a trip to find a magic grimoire, but that seems like a good enough start for some kind of wild fantasy adventure. It depends what they do with that set up of course, but I like fantasy in general, so I’m excited for this. Also, damn I love Zero’s design. So much.

[ Sakurada Reset ] If the PV for this wasn’t so… not exciting, this would be way higher on the list, since the premise is pretty awesome. In a city where many of the population have powers, Misora can reset time 3 days back, and Kei’s power is to retain his memories despite the time reset. They take on missions sent by some organization that monitors the people with powers. Ever since the infamous “Endless Eight”, I’ve been kind of wary of time looping anime (even if none have been that bad since), but it seems like if the main characters will be going back, it will be for a reason since they’re following orders from that organization. Again though, the PV seems pretty laid back (to a certain degree) so maybe the show will also be more laid back.

[ Tsuki ga Kirei ] I don’t know what happened during the winter anime season, but I got really into the slice of life genre more than anything, and this seems like a good continuation for me. Watching middle school students figure out their lives (and also the promise of romance) seems like a good way to pass the time. …Though this is being directed by the same guy who did Angel Beats (and also the “let’s adapt video games in the closest way possible even if it doesn’t really work in anime” guy, Seiji Kishi), so that’s interesting I guess. We’ll see how that goes.

[ Natsume Yuujinchou Roku ] No, I haven’t even started the 5th season yet, but as far as I’m concerned, the more Natsume the better. It’s just one of those shows that is consistently pleasant to watch, and puts me in a good mood. I’m happy this has so many seasons! (Also, honorable mention to Boku no Hero Academia S2. Kenshi Yonezu was my favourite producer back in his vocaloid days, so I’m really excited to hear him in anime now. …And of course, the story is great, and Uraraka is pretty cute).

Possibly Blogging: Clockwork Planet // Sakurada Reset

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About

The Boss lady of Metanorn, who makes it all happen. An animanga enthusiast, who watches/reads almost anything that strikes her fancy. Just beware of her Death Perception and always keep her happy. Regularly found at @KyokaiTM & #[email protected].
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56 Responses to “Meta Team’s Spring Anime 2017 Picks”

  1. akagami says:

    Another season, improved pre-season estimates. For the winter season I dropped two (out of eight) and picked up two I initially skipped from my preview list. That puts me at 75%, target reached! And I finally got around to watching DRRRR!! S4… it’s all exploding together and I really enjoyed the fireworks. I was ho-hum for S2 and S3, but S4 was non-stop fun.

    At a glance, spring looks to be pretty deadly… lots of new contenders as well as plenty of returning champs. This is going to be a (more-typical for me) packed season!

    More Beauty than Beast
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    GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation: How is it that the promised game translation to English still hasn’t happened?!? T.T Love the artstyle, and the couple of figures I’ve seen come out have been pretty nice! (I love Koto’s dwarf swordswoman). I started collecting some figures for fun, because why not I have empty shelves ^_^ Looking forward to this, even if it isn’t amazing it’ll tickle my fantasy itch, plus we got A-1 at the helm.
    Roku de Nashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records: I’m a fan of this manga, so auto-watch it goes. Magic and school settings, plus a lazy (but smart) protaganist. I’m in! Add in his handicap and I already like him as a protagnist.
    Sakura Quest: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! I need more P.A. Works in my life. It could be about dirt and I’ll still check it out.
    Clockwork Planet: I like sci-fi stories when done well, and this seems pretty interesting, mixed in with a nice dose of fantasy so it doesn’t end up being too technical. I’m interested. Speaking of, where’s my NGNL sequel? I will check out the movie, even if it’s only a prequel. But I want a sequel, godammit.
    Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul: Oh yeeeeahhh! The original ended up surprising in a very good way, turning what most people expected to be mediocre-to-average into something that was actually pretty good. I’m looking forward to seeing the cast again (and Favaro’s hair).
    Uchouten Kazoku 2: More P.A. Works!!! The first season was good, if a little odd. Shapeshifting powers, but the downside is that you’ll probably get eaten sometime in the future, and you just got to accept it.
    Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka? Isogashii Desuka? Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka?: Long-titled anime are great. The longer the name, the greater an anime will be. Swords, maid outfits, … and elves? I must watch any show with an elf in it.
    Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata : Season 1 was a nice watch, plus I love romantic comedies, so this a guaranteed shoe-in. It helps that the characters were great.
    Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darouka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria: The original had Hestia as the main heroine, this time we have Aiz. It’ll be interesting how this pans out, without Bell and Hestia (the latter of which I wasn’t a huge fan of). The couple of chapters I’ve seen, it’s more together because you have a team who knows what they’re doing (kind of like the difference in doing a raid with noobs vs. experienced guild)… I want a good mmorpg I can get back into. FF14 was ok, I just didn’t like the class switching system and the magic system was lackluster.

    It’s the… Power Rangers?
    ____________
    Alice to Zouroku: This didn’t really jump out at me, and the plot premise doesn’t excite me off the bat. However it has a hint of slice-of-life and appears to focus on character development (Sana), so I might try a little to see what this is really all about.
    Oushitsu Kyoushi Haine: I feel like this is really a story about a frat house and a teacher who has to reform it. There’s just so much potential that I want to see where it’ll go… plus it has laughs!
    Sagrada Reset: Hey look, it’s Charlotte with a boring art style! I’m conflicted, because I like school setting stories, but Charlottle did a 180 halfway in and turned into a clusterfk of nonsense. I’m hoping this will go much better… one can hope.
    Tsuki ga Kirei: Romance… is rather lacking this season =( But feel. has some good works behind their name, so willing to give this a try even though what has been offered up is lacking much details.
    Re:CREATORS: Madoka, you’re in the wrong show! The character cast looks like someone took characters from different shows and threw them all together. Here’s hoping an anime original will turn out to be something good. A/Z was great, so maybe good things will happen here.
    Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho: I read a bit of the manga before, and while interested in the tiger-man, the first couple of chapters were really slow that I lost interest. But it might end up better in anime form, so I’ll take a look or two.

    Off the list is Natsume Yuujin-Chou Roku, because I’m only on season 2. But once I catch up, I’ll probably watch this. Might be 2020, but I’ll watch it eventually. Tsugumomo I don’t plan to watch, but will check out skylion’s thoughts to see if I’ll add it or not.

    In summary, 15 shows… which isn’t too bad. I cut out the CG anime, plus some other shows I never followed, so that helped to cut down the list from my previous 20+ type seasons.

    Interesting that you’re finding FFXV addicting Kyokai, as I haven’t been seeing that in headline comments/reviews. I haven’t decided whether or not to get it, although I would need a PS4 first… and finish my backlog of Tales, Disgaea, and other rpg games. And also finished FFXIII-2 and Lightning Returns.

    Speaking of spring, my first ever Japan (Asia) trip is coming right up! Going to land right in Golden Week, which I’ve been told is hectic all around~~~ Should be fun, although I don’t really have a firm itinerary yet. I’m all over Japan, so if there’s anything you would recommend I visit as an anime fan, I would love to hear from you! I got the touristy stuff pretty much covered with all those japan guides on the web. I was planning to visit Disney, but then I saw this and this and went “hell no”.

    One thing I would like to do in Tokyo would be to visit an idol performance live (doesn’t have to be AKB48)… if anyone knows how to get tickets to any idol performance (professional or amateur), please help me!!! ( ノ^ω^)ノ゚

    • Overcooled says:

      Regarding tourist stuff, I’ve been to Tokyo a few times so I’ll put in my 2 cents~

      Since you’re going when it’s pretty warm, I’d suggest going to Enoshima. It’s really nice and gives off a totally different vibe from the city. It’s gorgeous!! Plus so much good seafood and stray cats! It’s shown a lot in anime too (mostly Tsuritama but almost any “beach episode” in anime ends up being in Enoshima…just look for the tower). Also, since a lot might be closed during Golden Week, this is a good place to just walk around.

      Also, I’d suggest go to ANIMATE’s anime themed cafe, just make sure to book in advance so you can get a table. It’s like an otaku necessity. Food is garbage but it’s for the ~experience~. Anyways, I think they have ANIMATE all over too, not just in Tokyo, since you said you’re going all over.

      I dunno how to help with idol tickets though…tbh when I was there I would always stumble into concerts selling last minute tickets (but I never went…ugh). By chance I walked by a GRANRODEO concert…

      Anyways have fun!!!

      • akagami says:

        I’ll add on ANIMATE’s anime cafe. The only cafe I have so far on my list is the Final Fantasy Eorzea one.

        I’m there for a month, so lots of exploring to do! I start in Hokkaido, then towards Fukuoka, then back to Tokyo, all by JR.

        Was there a specific area where you stumbled into last minute tickets?

      • skylion says:

        That would be one of my first stops, the Enoshima Sea Candle. I hear you can pretty much stay on that island and have a complete experience.

    • IreneSharda says:

      With April coming up, it’s going on my eighth month in Japan. I’ve been to Tokyo once during that time, though I hope to go again. The way I usually find out about musical events is usually by going to the website of the major venues or of the band that you want to hang out at (especially their twitter). Also, you’ll be surprised at the free things that you might happen upon when you’re there. At Diver City in Odaiba, I was just going to the Gundam Front event and right there they had a boy band singing right out front at an event. It was pretty cool to watch.

      Also, look around for flyers that are usually posted around too, I don’t know how many I’ve run into recently for Arc-de-Ciel and Uverworld. In terms of actually getting tickets, the best place really is at a convenience store. Each chain has their own machine, but if you find something on a flyer or website called a L code (Lawson) or P code (7/11) you can use that number to find the event you are looking for, and by a ticket right there using cash or credit.

      As for Disney, if you are even a mild fan, I would still suggest you go. I loved it there. There are two parks in the Disney Resort: Disneyland and DisneySea. Disneyland is basically like all other Disneylands if you’ve already been, same layout, though some small Japanese style differences of course. DisneySea on the other hand is quite unique an is one of the most detailed, beautiful parks I have ever been to. It can be crowded, but to cut down time you can purchase tickets ahead of time (again at the conveinience store!), though when I went, it wasn’t that crowded at all. However, with you going during Golden Week, that might change. Try to go during a weekday and DisneySea is usually always less crowded than Disneyland.

      Since I live in Kyushu, I usually stick to the south in my travels. You can of course hit up USJ in Osaka (that is crazy crowded so I definitely would get my tickets early). OC is right in that ANIMATE stores/cafes are really awesome. They are indeed a chain so you can usually find one in every major city. I’ve shopped their several times. If you go as far south as Nagasaki, you will find a delightful Dutch village theme park called Huis Ten Bosch. It very beautiful and is full of flowers, windmills, rides, boats, and is a great time.

      If you want to be really adventurous, South Korea is just across the bay and is only little more than 3 hours away on a ferry from Osaka or Fukuoka. Osaka will probably take you closer to Seoul. Fukuoka will usually head for Busan. Busan is really great fun and you will see the clash of Japan, Korea, and American all in one spot (there are a lot of foreigners milling about there, more than I’ve ever seen in Japan, but a lot of that is because the amount of American military presence is spread out wide there as well).

      Going back to the south again, Sasebo is a charming seaside town not far from Nagasaki. Both have a slightly more European/Dutch feel because of the history of trading in the area. If you are looking for big city fun, Fukuoka, Okayama, and Osaka are nice. Tokyo can seem too big, and these are some smaller alternatives. Look for a street festival, those can be great, especially with Golden week going on. If you are in Osaka, visit the aquarium there, it is really great. I got to see a whale shark for the first time and it is something to behold.

      Close to where I live is an area called Mojiko that has a nice 1900s feel since it was also a trading point in history. It has a really great pier area, and shopping and history all rolled into one. It’s nice for an afternoon. You can even take a ferry boat across the way to Shimonoseki which has one of the greatest fish markets in Japan.

      Well, I hope that helps. If you need any other info, I’ll be around. Have fun!

      • akagami says:

        Ooooh, that is very insightful. I think I’ll take you up on your offer, once I get around to more planning. Right now my base of operations are Sapporo, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo, with day trips planned for each area. A couple of days in Sapporo, a bit more than a week in Tokyo, and the remaining time in Fukuoka and Osaka.

        I don’t know any Japanese so it’ll be interesting figuring my way around.

        • IreneSharda says:

          Wow, that is quite the traveling you’ll be doing. I’ve never gone as north as Sapporo. That’s like half a day travel by bullet train. Tokyo is more than 5 hours away by train from Fukuoka. Osaka and Fukuoka are more than 3 hours away. And I’m talking about the Shikansen (bullet train), so keep that in mind. If you haven’t gotten a tourist rail pass, you need to get one or the Shikansen can get ultra expensive, in many cases even more so than a plane ticket. Also, Hyperdia, is your friend. It can tell you what train to get on and where. Just know what station you want to go to what station you are leaving from. (NOT city! Station) And the rule is EVERYTHING is on time here. If the train says it leaves at 12:01, it leaving at 12:01. Be on it far before then. There are of course exceptions and things happen, but that is the usual.

          Don’t worry about not knowing Japanese. I know very little and most that I know is from constant listening. Most signs have English translation. Restaurants might be a little harder since if they are smaller, more homey ones, they probably won’t have any English. But this is the land of plastic food models, so, you will probably be able to point out what you want even if you can’t read it. Big cities though will definitely have many English options. In fact I can assure you that probably every American franchise is also here as well. Everything from Mcdonalds, Denny’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, KFC…
          I sometime just like to go there to see the Japanese options.

          Oh, most people you meet and talk too will know little to no English. So, one word English is what you can use, or just a lot of pointing and gesturing. They will probably do the same. I also don’t know if your are of Asian descent or not. If not, they will automatically sort of categorize you on sight as being a “gaijin”, foreigner, and will assume that you can’t speak Japanese and so will address you accordingly.

          And the Japanese are a really nice group of courteous people, and they find foreigners fascinating for the most part. They will ask questions of you, especially where you’re from. Areas like Korea and Okinawa might be a little less nice with Americans because sadly our men and women in uniform have given us a bad wrap in those areas. It’s not like the locals are hostile or anything in those area, but be aware that there is a mindset about Americans in those areas and it’s not a very good one.

          Also, be aware that our usual anime subbing streaming sites do not work in Japan. Licensing and all that. So, you will have to use the other sites around to watch your shows subbed online.

      • skylion says:

        I would love either Tokyo Disneyland or Disney Sea, but would prefer the later one. You should totally go there again and read a copy of Clockwork Planet on the Mysterious Island attraction! Soooo many alt-punk points to score!

    • BlackBriar says:

      Interesting that you’re finding FFXV addicting Kyokai, as I haven’t been seeing that in headline comments/reviews. I haven’t decided whether or not to get it, although I would need a PS4 first… and finish my backlog of Tales, Disgaea, and other rpg games. And also finished FFXIII-2 and Lightning Returns.

      You shouldn’t put all your faith in headlines and those things. We say it’s addictive based on first hand experiences and it is very much so.

      Here’s some advice the day you do get a PS4: Get an external hard drive at the same time. Trust me, you’ll need it and you’re fortunate for that thanks to the recent system’s update that allows you to connect external hard drives to the PS4 for extra data storage. The PS4 games application data eats memory in chunks. The application data for Final Fantasy XV alone is 50 GB. Not to mention the 10 GB patch that comes with it.

      I’d love to be playing the Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII games that have been sitting on my shelf for the longest time but I’m being road blocked by my second fight against Barthandelus in the original Final Fantasy XIII.

    • skylion says:

      I’ll totally see you on the posts for Alice to Zouroku, as I’m sure I’m the only other person interested in it. It has all the overtones of Elfen Lied, only without all the murderings. Well, I hope there’s no murderings…

      • Smiley says:

        I’ll be watching this as well. There’s barely even a superficial comparison to Elfen Lied though.

        • skylion says:

          For a pre-FI is a good marketing gimmick. “We’ve dialed the murdering and gore down to next to nothing!”

  2. akagami says:

    *picks up spammy ticket number 1119 and gets into the help line*

  3. Overcooled says:

    I don’t know how Kyokai and I will get anything done with FF15 still on our plates lol

    • BlackBriar says:

      Though it may not be by much, but it seems I’m ahead of you in that race. 😉 And Kyokai’s right. Final Fantasy XV is addictive.

  4. BlackBriar says:

    Wow, what a line-up. It makes last season look so insignificant and thanks to it, I’m back to my usual risk of having nearly 20 animes on my seasonal list. This tells me that balance has been restored and all is right with the world. Whoo, a little too theatrical there. If tempting shows were sweets, we’d probably have the worst form of diabetes consuming them all. Not to mention a number of sequels swarming about.

    Top 5 Shows:
    Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul
    Re:CREATORS
    Boku no Hero Academia S2
    Seikaisuru Kado
    Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho

    The remainder of the list:
    Shingeki no Kyojin S2
    Uchouten Kazoku S2
    Boruto: Naruto Next Generations
    ATOM: The Beginning
    Busou Shoujo Machiavellianism
    Clockwork Planet
    Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka Gaiden: Sword Oratoria
    Gin no Guardian
    GRANBLUE FANTASY The Animation
    Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Kinki Kyouten
    sin Nanatsu no Taizai
    Tsugumomo

    Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul: “FAVARROOOOO!” Oh, how good it will feel to hear Kaisar shouting that at the top of his lungs again. Surely, I can’t be the only one in anticipation. Characters, old and new, will be taking the stage though it’s a bummer our half-angel/demon beauty Amira won’t be joining them. Given this season is a confirmed two-cour, all the more opportunity to savor the developments.

    Re:CREATORS: So what I’m getting from the ANN information and the PV is that fictional characters from various forms of media are being brought to the real world and the unassuming protagonist is somehow caught in the middle. Interesting enough and a welcomed reversal to the recently popular “protagonist sent to a fantasy world” trend. However, there may be a divide depending who may be concerned because on the one hand, the story will handled by the author behind Black Lagoon (A series I’ve hunting down to watch but to no avail) while on the other, the animation will be done by TROYCA which most recall helped create Aldnoah.Zero. I’m more for the former and was indifferent towards Aldnoah.Zero so that doesn’t pose a problem in my opinion.

    Boku no Hero Academia S2: A rocky effort at the start but I managed to enjoy Boku no Hero Academia’s first season. By the book superhero fare yet not so much that I’d find it overbearing and myself rolling my eyes or face palming. It did pull my leg, though. I didn’t think I’d have to wait a year after the first season’s start-off to see the continuation when the predecessor ended in a way to make one believe the show itself was a split-cour.

    Seikaisuru Kado: Another full CG anime. However, watching the PV, the animation is more refined than that of say, Knights of Sidonia and Bubuki Buranki. That, that it looks like something I can get into, the feel is ominous and I usually get a kick out of watching something out of ordinary making a splash and see how people react.

    Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho: It’s probably just me but it seems White Fox likes to mostly broadcast its works for the Spring season. Steins;Gate for Spring 2011, the first half of Jormungand for Spring 2012, Hataraku Maou-sama! for Spring 2013, Re:Zero for Spring 2016. Didn’t look like much until I read the synopsis, then it piqued interest. Mostly making me wonder exactly why the half-man, half-beast mercenary protagonist would want to become the very species he’s being mocked relentlessly by, especially when it calls for escorting a total stranger who happens to be a witch.

    Shingeki no Kyojin S2: So it’s not a wild internet myth teasing people. A continuation actually exists. Well, Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin is my least favorite choice among the WIT Studio productions but I guess I can squeeze a mainstream popcorn entertainment series into the list. Though since it won’t be one of my must-sees, this one will be on the back burner.

    Uchouten Kazoku S2: Well, well, well. Here I thought this one ceased to exist after its first outing and it faded from my mind just as much until I saw the announcement. How it generated enough attention to gain another season, I haven’t the slightest idea. I wouldn’t say I’m a fan but I do welcome Uchouten Kazoku’s return.

    Boruto: Naruto Next Generations: Haven’t watched Naruto Shippuden since the episode of Kaguya Ootsutsuki’s first appearance and didn’t really have the motivation to continue on after getting a rough idea of how it all ended playing the Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 PS4 game. Yet it seems I’ll have to catch up to see what happens after that to not feel like I’m missing something if I want to start watching Boruto. Well, here’s to witnessing the end of one era and the start of another.

    • skylion says:

      White Fox does darn good adaptation, I’ll say that much, so I’m sure that Zero kara will be well worth checking out. The manga has a slow beginning, but it also has a burn to it. I’ve not seen anything that I can reveal offhand that addresses your question about the mercenary, but it’s part of that slowburn process. If they pace the show well, it’ll have a good payoff.

      • Smiley says:

        White Fox saving anime as usual.

      • BlackBriar says:

        I’m increasingly finding it odd that any particular show you intend to blog, you just happened to have come across its source material beforehand. Not to mention it’s one being produced by White Fox. I thought Re:Zero was a fluke and now I’m curious. Name that enigmatic ability of yours!!! 😉

        • skylion says:

          I read lots of stuff, and if it keeps my attention and it gets a show and it has fantasy and a loli or a love interest or some odd magical bit, I intend the bloody stuffing out of it?

          Or I’m an alien from Dimension X…you might not want to rule that one out.

          • Smiley says:

            Like skylion says, just read lot of stuff. If you start reading popular LNs and manga, you’ll find that it’s only a matter of time before they’re adapted into anime.

          • BlackBriar says:

            Hmmm. Strangely, I can relate to that a lot. Because whenever a vampire related anime gets released, it’s a 90 to 95% chance I’ve already come across its source material beforehand. Mainly because I’m always sniffing around for new ones.

            • skylion says:

              I mostly read most of my manga on my tablet(s) and use one specific app, and it always has lists of similar stuff to what I’ve read. So when I go from reading something like Re: Zero, I got Zero kara as well. Or something like Blade Dance, give me something like Absolute Duo. Or it comes from my twitter feed, that has tweets and retweets from fans and studios and artists, so the design catches my eye. Lots of venues have lots of upcomings…

  5. Smiley says:

    You know me. I’ll try almost everything.

    Yep:
    Boku no Hero Academia 2nd Season
    Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2
    Granblue Fantasy The Animation
    Tsugumomo
    Alice to Zouroku
    Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
    Busou Shoujo Machiavellism
    Sakura Quest
    Renai Boukun
    Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul
    Eromanga-sensei
    Uchouten Kazoku 2
    Zero kara Hajimeru Mahou no Sho
    Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata ♭
    Sword Oratoria

    Maybe:
    Frame Arms Girl
    Sakurada Reset
    Tsuki ga Kirei
    Clockwork Planet
    Re:Creators
    ID-0
    Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasu ka? Isogashii desu ka? Sukutte Moratte Ii desu ka?
    Natsume Yuujinchou Roku

    • BlackBriar says:

      You know me. I’ll try almost everything.

      Hey, they don’t call it a “Taste test” or “Trial and error” for nothing. 😛

  6. BlackBriar says:

    Yikes!! Well, this will be an unexpectedly surprising and devastatingly hard blow for die-hard fans. Turns out the second season of Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin will be a short one. It’s listed with a small total of 12 episodes.

    ANN article: Attack on Titan Season 2 Listed With 12 Episodes

    • skylion says:

      This is good news actually. Most studios overextend themselves, and WiT is no exception. In fact, you might recall some infamy they collected for some shoddy results around the start of the second cour of SnK’s original run. Slow and steady, one cour at a time might ensure quality.

      • BlackBriar says:

        I doubt your suggestion to be the case. There must be another reason because WIT Studio is still keeping themselves busy.

        There’s the new Attack on Titan for this Spring 2017, a 2-cour TV version of the “Mahoutsukai no Yome” OVAs (Also done by WIT Studio) for Fall 2017 (The Ancient Magus’ Bride TV Anime’s Video Shows Early Story Scenes) and when that ends, I’m sure that confirmed continuation for Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress/Koutetsujou no Kabaneri will be right there slated for Spring or Summer 2018 (Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Gets New Anime in 2018).

        • IreneSharda says:

          But Attack on Titan is their crown jewel. I highly doubt they would sideline their best player in favor of the runners-up.

          I just think there is more to this story then we’re seeing.

          • BlackBriar says:

            I can think of a reason: Leveling the playing field. Attack on Titan probably has so much popularity, it casts a shadow on anything else WIT Studio does and this is so to give its other works a chance in the spotlight. If the manga ends and they adapt every bit of material, what will they have left to represent them? They’ll fade in the black if there’s no alternative.

            Because of that overbearing popularity, both Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign/Owari no Seraph and Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress/Koutetsujou no Kabaneri automatically got written off by the western fan base as copy/paste attempts trying to mimic Attack on Titan’s success before they had a chance to properly represent themselves individually.

            After skewering your theories on future events for Seraph of the End, leaving you no choice but to check the manga out yourself, I’m sure you noticed the way Titan and Seraph handled their human vs non-human conflicts were as different as night and day. Titan going the arbitrary “Humans are the good guys and non-humans are the bad guys” black and white scenario whereas Seraph follows the path Shiki did going for the gray area route where both sides are at fault and it’s the viewer’s job to decide which side is most in contempt.

            • IreneSharda says:

              I think that is a very flimsy and not how a business would think.
              That would be like WB saying, “You know what, that Harry Potter series only has 8 books. We’ll eventually run out of material to adapt, let’s only adapt two books! The fans will really love us then! And look at all the money we WON”T make!”

              That’s dumb. Any good business knows to spread their assets around, but also to go with what works, especially if you are in the market of making money. When they decided to adapt this series, they went into it knowing this wasn’t going to be a forever series like One Piece or Case Closed. But that’s not going to stop them from making money on a enormous franchise while they can. And while they are doing that, they can work to find another franchise that can make them more money when AoT has run its course. That’s what experiments like Kabaneri were for, to try to find the next big thing! Eventually they’ll find one, but they’re not going to halt their biggest money maker while trying to do so.

    • IreneSharda says:

      I think that is silly, I mean there is more than enough material for it to continue way past 12 episodes. And considering how popular the series is, I can’t see them only putting out only 12 episodes. Are we sure this is not just a split cour?

      • BlackBriar says:

        I think what’s seen is what’s about to be had. If it was a split cour, they’d have announced it right off the bat instead of posting that Attack on Titan’s new season would only have 12 episodes or said a second half would be scheduled later on right as the final episode of a supposedly first half would air instead of making an announcement right before the new season even starts.

        The only show with the split cour format in WIT Studio’s library is Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign/Owari no Seraph and its split cour format was announced before the first half even started.

        • IreneSharda says:

          Well, really nobody announced anything, they just revealed their DVD plans and people inferred from there.

          The consensus I’m hearing around is that it will either be split cour, or that they will do this season, wait a few years, then do the next one and keep going like that in order to extend it out.

      • BlackBriar says:

        MAL has their Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2 page confirmed. Season 2 is in fact a single cour.

    • IreneSharda says:

      Okay, after reading the story, there is definitely something more to this. What Japanese anime studio worth it’s salt, puts out their series on only 2-DVD/BDs with 6 episodes each?
      I can expect that from NA licensing groups and bootlegs, but Japan only tends to put one to two, at most 4, episodes per volume. They stretch out those volumes as much as they can. Only two volumes, for a series that makes this much money? AND these aren’t any kind of special edition sets?

      There is more going on here than meets the eye.

  7. ProtoSovereign says:

    So I just want to put this out there but … why is everyone hating on Aldnoah.Zero??? Sure it didn’t quite live up to its potential or hype. Sure Gen Urobutchi only did the first 3 eps. Sure the ending was kinda terrible. but it was still one of the better shows of its time. Right?

    About shows I’m excited for and watching well definitely Saekano, probably Shingeki no Kyoujin, maybe that one by white fox and the one by aldnoah.zero’s creators. Tbh there’s a lot of shows I don’t know.

    • skylion says:

      A.z had lots of potential and hype, AND it had all it’s plot and characterization up front, no back end (and nothing in the middle!) to it. Pretty much like any failed big story, lots of sturm and drang, little real rainfall.

      I’m looking forward to Saekano as well, and espcially the White Fox one, let’s call it Zero kara for now…

      • ProtoSovereign says:

        Saekano 🙂 the show I turn off my brain to and just enjoy some passionate yelling for 25 min. Good times :3

        • skylion says:

          That is literally what it is there for, I don’t know why people expect more. Well, it’s creative people trying to work with each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but the yelling is the thing…

    • BlackBriar says:

      I didn’t have any for it but I think the reason people, mostly here, show such animosity toward Aldnoah.Zero is because of continual betrayal of expectations. They wanted it to go one way but the show itself kept going in the opposite direction.

      and the one by aldnoah.zero’s creators.

      You’re a little confused there. Re:Creators’s story is being done by the writer for Black Lagoon. TROYCA, the company that handled the animation for Aldnoah.Zero will be lending a hand again in the animation department.

    • Highway says:

      Everyone hates on A.Z. because it had an absolutely terrible ending to a fairly promising first series. And then it doubled down on that horrible ending with the end of the second series being even worse. So people had hope and it was idiotically cut off with the terrible character.

      And the ending of the first cour wasn’t just “kinda terrible”. It was extraordinarly terrible. It was perhaps the second worst ending I’ve seen, if you count KumaMiko’s ending. And it’s close for that. And I didn’t watch the second series, because the first ended so poorly, but nobody said it got any better.

    • Irenesharda says:

      Ah, you have actually kind of spelled out in very simple terms most of the reasons why the “series that shall not be named” IS so hated. It had tons of potential, and it literally had to try to be as bad as it actually turned out. To me, it’s actually worse to have a great first impression, and then to subsequently squander all the good will it gives you and then have a horrendous ending (no, not “terrible”. horrendous). It leaves the worst taste in your mouth and you feel like you’ve completely wasted your time. The ending was the biggest problem with the series, but there was a lot more wrong too. Main characters with the charisma of a rock. Battles that began to get ridiculously formulaic. A war for survival where the good guys never lose and the bad guys are always beaten. (it kind of negates the entire idea of a “survival” story) I could go on and on…

      However, the less I have my mind on that horrific series, the better. Let’s just say, that it is the only seires where I became so disgusted that I was in physical pain. I now will not even give the show the respect of saying its title.

    • ProtoSovereign says:

      HAHA well that’s some passionate hate I’m seeing there. Maybe I’m just too accustomed to seeing bad anime (actually this is probably tru becuz there are heaps of really terrible anime out in existance) I actually enjoyed Aldnoah.Zero since despite the hype my friends were generating for it when I came to watching it I had low expectations. The fights I would also say were one of the strong points of the series for me due to the wonderful ways they used phenomena in physics to decide the outcomes (which was interesting compared to the usual power up to win fights). Can someone tell me why I actually enjoyed watching aldnoah.zero? but yeah the flaws and crushing of expectations was real

      • Highway says:

        It’s really all in how much you weight the ending. If you think the end of the first series was just a way to get to the second series, then that’s fine. But if, like me, you thought that it was inexcusable to have the worst, most useless, character stupidly and needlessly kill off the two hero characters you were invested in because he’s a worthless piece of crap, then you’re not going to really take kindly to the memory of the series. Essentially, they took all the stuff I liked in the first series and, in the literal last minute, managed to not just put off things until the next series, but thoroughly destroy any goodwill I had for the story of the series.

        I even tried to watch the second series, but when it started out with F*$*#@% Slaine being all hero-y, I just noped right out. Cause f^(k that guy.

        • skylion says:

          …that was the tagline of the second series: F&ck That Guy.

        • IreneSharda says:

          Lol, once again with us feeling the exact opposites. I really liked the season 1 ending and hated season 2’s ending, This is because I honestly hated the two main characters and loved Slaine.

          It just pissed me off that what they did with Slaine in the end. I would have actually have loved for him to have won. Still my favorite character in the series, even if the series as a whole fell into tatters because of it’s horrible writing.

          • ProtoSovereign says:

            Yeah, I hated both endings but also yes I also agree that I wish Slaine didn’t get the treatment the show gave him. I was hoping they would make him do something right for once instead of more Inaho heroics.

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