Meta Team’s Fall Anime 2016 Picks
(ง’̀-‘́)ง Time for the Fall’16 list! (ง’̀-‘́)ง
Metanorn readers, it’s time for the most exciting seasonal list of the year! Are you excited for Fall? (▰˘◡˘▰) I definitely am and the first on the list is Drifters, which has finally culminated into an anime. We saw it first in the Hellsing Special: The Dawn and oh how sweet it looked with a crazy hero, running amok in a battlefield. It is signature Kouta Hirano work with blood, gore and amazing art of one-eyed-angles. Takahiro Omori is back as well, with the fifth season of Natsume Yuujinchou! I knew this day would come; we have been quite lucky, take a bow for the existence of Shuka, fans. If you are one of those Kamiyan-haters now, shame on you! Seiyuus have a life too and it’s amazing he married Nakamura Hikaru (mangaka of Arakawa Under the Bridge), I can almost imagine Nino and Kou getting sweetly married. May they forever be happy! Beside the mushy news, there are a lot of continuations, more than you could count but hey, good for the varied genre fans to get something at least (More Haikyuu! Yaay!; WWW.Working!! – where is Katanashi-kun?!; Keijo!!!!!!!!, Japan, you are odd but great…). Last but not the least, concept-wise Occultic;Nine seems interesting, while Yuri!!! on Ice poster has so much shade + a Yoshimasa Hosoya voiced character that I am bound to watch. Therefore, Fall is quite full-on and the first impressions from Meta Team should keep you posted on what to watch and what to drop. For now, let’s hear it from the rest of the team on their top picks.————————————————————–
Well it’s time to say goodbye to summer! I’m gonna miss watching some of my favorite anime from that season! Namely Love Live Sunshine, New Game, Amaama to Inazuma, Amanchu and Macross Delta, but fall is around the corner and when I start to think about the fall season it always makes me think of Halloween and Thanksgiving. So what am I excited to watch in the fall? Well for starters I noticed the fall season is filled with lots of random magical girl themed anime and tons of sports! From ping pong, cycling, rugby, ice skating and whatever the hell Keijo is? Besides some new things we have a few returning series that I am happy to see Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans, Bubuki Buranki, Show by rock, Hibike Euphonium and more freaking feel good anime Natsume Yuujinchou! So yeah I can’t wait to see some new stuff.
[ Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku ] As a huge mahou shoujo fan I’ve always joked with my friends on Twitter or Skype that I would love to see a Super Smash Brothers Melee/Street Fighter style game where you play strictly magical girls! Imagine seeing any of your favorite magical girl characters beating each other up? That said it appears we’re getting just that with this series? Story wise in the world of Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku they have a game called “Magical Girl Raising Project” which somehow actually produces real magical girls? however one day the people behind the “game” drop a huge change to the game by announcing that there are too many magical girls and now they want to narrow it down to just sixteen? After reading that summary I was instantly excited! Now I just wonder how violent will the fighting be or will the team behind this series play it safe without including any blood or gore? We shall see…
[ Flip Flappers ] Flip Flappers might win the award for most randomly named anime ever for the fall season! So what is this series even about? Story wise it deals with two girls going on a multi-dimensional journey which kind of reminds me of a cross between Space Patrol Luluco/Space Dandy and that alone has me excited! Since we’re going to be dealing with random dimensional travel that easily opens the doors for the creative team behind Flip Flappers to do whatever the hell they want and if you’ve seen any of the previews you can clearly see they are having fun! I just hope under all the bright colors and crazy animation for this series we get an actual story thrown in, but I’m sure I will be fine with whatever Flip Flappers becomes.
[ Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans 2 ] When we ended season one of Iron Blooded Orphans, team Tekkadan finished escorting Kudelia to earth where she could have peace talks with the earth forces, but with that mission completed what’s next? For starters Mika lost the use of his right arm and is blind in one eye which sucks; however he is a strong character and those injuries won’t stop him from fighting! Besides that one of the newest previews showed off a bunch of good and bad characters which means some of them probably will die and most forget Mari Okada is still writing this so expect more sad deaths! Also who will be left standing when the series is over? Will it be Mika or Orga? We shall see…
[ Bubuki Buranki: Hoshi no Kyojin ] When we last left things off in season one of Bubuki Buranki, we saw Azuma and his team were finally working as a team and seemed to have a handle on how to pilot their giant voltron mecha and we also saw teams from America and Russia randomly appear near the end; however one nagging thing kept bothering most of us while we watched! Azuma himself who landed on either being loved or hated by the fans and personally I found him to be kind of a dull character even though I was far more curious about the team of villains lead by Reoko, but we quickly learned that team wasn’t really all that evil and they only fought the heroes as a way to prepare them for future battles. Now that we’re getting a second season I can’t wait to see what happens next! Just kidding I have a feeling that Azuma’s sister Kaoruko will be playing a huge role in the new season, but what is her actual role? Will she be a hero or a possible villain? I kind of would love to see her step up as the new Reoko type figure who can pilot her own Buranki without anyone else. As a side note she is also going to be voiced by Hisako Kanemoto aka Squid girl/Cure Peace/Amy/Atra which is a bonus for me since I love whatever role she plays.
[ Brave Witches ] Strike Witches is one of those series that always seems to go away for a few years and then randomly pop back up with an OVA or movie, which is fine by me since I’m a fan! Besides all the fanservice, Strike Witches to me always has fun characters, but with this new re-branding Brave Witches is going to have a brand new cast of characters which is great! I’ve always been interested in seeing the other teams; however even with this going from Strike Witches to Brave Witches not much is going to actually change because in the end the characters are fighting the same old monsters, using the same magical powers and tech! Then again maybe they can add some brand new things to the franchise? Also, I’m curious if any of the original witches will appear to help the new team? We shall see.
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I’ve been feeling pretty much the same about every season for the past while – they all have their ups and downs. However, I always get overly excited when all the new shows start airing and I have an all-you-can-eat buffet of anime to gorge myself on. So, of course, my heart is beating faster just by writing this and realizing what’s to come. GET HYPE!
[ Natsume Yuujinchou Go ] I was behind on the Natsume Yuujinchou train, so I watched all the seasons in a row (not in one sitting!) because I instantly fell in love. This is such a heart-warming and endearing series about an introverted boy who gradually becomes more comfortable forming bonds with youkai…and his classmates. As he makes friends in both worlds, we see some beautiful bonds being formed…and some lost, as well. It’s a bittersweet kind of show, but I always feel better after watching it. This will be the first time I get to watch a Natsume Yuujinchou show as it’s airing, so this should be exciting!
[ Hibike! Euphonium 2 ] Next up on, “I put these super safe choices in my top 2 because I enjoyed the previous seasons a lot”, Hibike! Euphonium! It doesn’t need to be said that KyoAni hit this one out of the park in terms of animation (they usually do). However, this show was more than just K-ON!: But More Serious, as it did an astounding job at creating complex characters and having them rub against each other in interesting ways. Sometimes literally rubbing against each other too (please, more Reina and Kumiko!). I’m down for more musical shenanigans that somehow turn a cast of like 40 characters into people I recognize and know better than my own goddamned classmates in school.
[ All Out! ] By now, it’s obvious I’ll always have a shameless sports anime pick with hot guys in it. All Out! Looks like it’s trying to trap anyone who falls for the male population with lovingly animated asses. The booty is strong with this one. Honestly, I don’t even remember what this is about, but it’s rugby so the guys will constantly be tackling each other…soooo…I don’t really need to say more, do I?
[ Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari ] Once again, another obvious pick for me. It’s the classic “adult adopts adorable child and then indulges in food” trope that I’ve come to love, especially from last season’s Sweetness and Lightning. This time, the kid is a tanuki. I think this means things won’t turn into a heart-wrenching melodrama any time soon, but I’m down for silly parent-child shenanigans mixed with good ‘ol cooking. Or at the very least, hyper-realistic shots of udon to make my mouth water. I’m so down!
[ Keijo!!!!!!!! ] And yet another obvious…okay wait, this one isn’t really my usual fare. Keijo!!! is one of the rare instances where I’ve actually read the manga first and I must say that it’s incredibly addictive. They take a simple concept – bumping asses to knock each other off of floating arenas – and take it to the extreme. It’s like if Prison School was a (more tame) sports anime. It’s a pandering show that gives asses attention for once instead of boobs (I say that as if that’s a cruel fact of life, but I suppose it is), but it has enough sports anime training shenanigans that I enjoy it. Plus, it’s just so ridiculous that I can’t stop grinning while reading it. Read the first 2 chapters and you’ll know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.
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Fall means school and school means significantly less free time for me this term, but I’m still excited for the upcoming 
anime. As always, I’m excited for the new shows to surprise me with how good they are, and there are returning series that should be great even if the new stuff isn’t. Having new seasons of Hibike Euphonium and Natsume Yuujinchou should be excellent at least. [ Natsume Yuujinchou Go ] Natsume Yuujinchou is one of those feel-good shows that manages to balance the relaxing aspects of Natsume’s (sort of normal) everyday life with his encounters with the supernatural. It’s the perfect combination for me, and the episodes never feel too long or boring. So I’m really looking forward to the new season, and seeing Natsume deal with more yokai following him around. Plus Nyanko-sensei. Nyanko-sensei is adorable.
[ Magic Kyun! Renaissance ] Aaannd that’s about it for serious things I’m looking forward to. Since school is going to be really busy for me, I’m actually looking forward to all of the fluffy, useless otome anime that are going to be coming out since I won’t have to keep track of any kind of complex plot. Magic Kyun seems to fit right in there, since it’s about a bunch of magic school artist guys getting ready for some festival, and then romance between them and the main girl Ohana ensues. There’s an actual otome game to this apparently, but seeing what the yen is at, I’m probably never going to play it. Plus Broccoli’s games haven’t been that great recently. Though seeing how KamiAsobi was different enough from the game, maybe this will be alright.
[ Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love Legend Star ] Another season of UtaPri was kind of a given seeing how the last season ended off, but at the same time, it’s kind of sad how they’re milking the series for ALL of the money. Come on, even Hakuouki has (kind of) given up by now. Nonetheless though, UtaPri should be a fun, easy watch for this season. The last season with its new director kind of reduced the amount of quirkiness of the series, but at least the songs should still be around to keep me entertained every episode.
[ Lostorage incited Wixoss ] Without Mari Okada as the script writer, I’m curious to see if this is going to be anywhere near as angsty as the previous Wixoss seasons. Seeing the basic premise of the world, I assume that there’s going to be some kind of drama. It should also be interesting to see if this is a prequel to the previous Wixoss seasons since Ruu (probably) saved everyone in the last season? Regardless though, I’m mostly excited for this because I play the card game occasionally and with the anime being relevant again, maybe I can convince more of my friends to buy cards and play with me.
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I know I won’t be able to watch lots of anime like I used to now, but I know I am always excited for the season after summer. Somehow they always have better anime line-up than the ones in Summer, which is somehow weird because people are busier after summer? But of course they have to air better anime after summer where people are busier, and they are doing it again this year. Thanks, Japan, you’ll be one of the reasons for my sleepless nights.
[ Natsume Yuujinchou Go ] Ah, Natsume. I remember I blogged this with the bishie of Metanorn aka. Jrow before. Blogging it was definitely exhausting because each episode of Natsume can be interpreted in so many ways. I had to ponder for hours because every time I think I found the morale for the episode, somehow I found another perspective of it. Of course, that’s the beauty of Natsume Yuujinchou series. It can be seen in so many angles, and people can relate to it in so many ways. Nothing can describe the beauty of this series. I’m not so sure whether Kamiyan extremists will watch or not considering his scandal was a huge shock in the anime/seiyuu world, but I am sure as hell I am going to watch it.
[ Drifters ] I have no clue what Drifters is about except that it’s made by the mangaka of Hellsing and takes a hella long time just for one volume to be published (one year if I remember correctly). Also, my friend is obsessed with it, and I have the same taste with her so I think I will like it. I know that Hoods Entertainment has been a hit-and-miss studio (read: mostly miss), but I kinda like their Seikon no Qwaser, um, Aki-Sora…and…um… Anywaaaayyy, it has Nakamura Yuichi so what’s the harm in trying this one?
[ Touken Ranbu ] Bishies with sword. Fighting by using each other’s swords. Defeating each other with swords. Men. Swords. Men swords. Men. Swords. Do I need to say more? Except with the worrisome fact that it’s handled by Pierre Sugiura (although Doga Kobo is also handling it), nothing can stop me from watching men playing with each other’s swords.
[ All Out! / Yuri!!! On ICE ] This is another conflict for me. I know I wouldn’t be able to handle more than one sport anime, but the sport anime of this season looks so tempting. ALL OUT! gives me what I have been praying to the god of gays anime: muscle. Finally, we have real men with real muscles. Moreover, rugby is a concept I am not familiar with, and I always get excited when I can actually learn something from anime. Well, I did read Eyeshield, but that’s not a real rugby. That’s Capcom rugby. However, Yuri on Ice looks so effing beautiful with its animation. It’s also about something I am not familiar with. Plus it perked my curiosity when one of the seiyuu said it barely passed the censorship law. How bad is the homohint in this one that it barely passed the censorship? The two hyped sport anime of this season offers me new knowledge and offer the audience with something unique, so my heart is torn right now. I’ll be watching both of them though.
[ Watashi ga Motete Dousunda ] It’s weird for me to look forward for this because I actually hate this series with a passion. The first successful non-yaoi series by Junko, it presents the perspective of men who fall for women based on their looks first, then the personality. Sounds very… annoying, right? Doesn’t sound like the typical shoujo thing. However, that is the unique aspect this series offers. Instead of approaching things the traditional way, Junko becomes a hit by doing things differently and blatantly. As much as I hate the concept, I have to admit that its realistic start does perk my interest of it.
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Ahh, Fall. The season of WoW. I mean, er, anime! It’s true that the new WoW expansion is taking up a lot of time right now for me, but some new series are just the thing to change that up a bit. I’m actually pretty excited about some new shows coming out, a lot of things that continue from older things, and will be hoping that there’s a lot of fun to be had.
[ Hibike Euphonium 2 ] I don’t know if there’s anything more I can say about Hibike Euphonium to get someone to watch it, but the first season was perhaps the best series I have ever watched. I found it to be the pinnacle of Kyoto Animation’s character-driven storytelling, but even with as great as that aspect was, it was just barely ahead of the visuals, the music, and the story itself. We’ll see where season 2 goes, since the group has already overcome the biggest hurdle: going from a terrible band to a good-enough-to-get-out-of-regionals band at the hand of Taki-sensei. So I think they might focus a lot more on the emotional and romantic side for this series. Whatever way they go, it’s going to be great.
[ Flip Flappers ] This is a show that had a great promotional video, and instantly went way up in my thinking. I don’t know if it will stay up there, but it has a good look and an interesting premise that may not make a lot of sense. So we’ll see how it does.
[ Keijo!!!!!!!! ] That’s right, someone had to put this in the list. A show that’s probably completely titillation, the key to it being watchable is going to be whether it has any kind of story, or whether it will just fall into being a sports anime with a bad, made up sport. And the animation will probably have to be pretty good, or it will turn into Sekai de Ichiban Tsyoku Naritai. They might have a chance with the story given the “I need the money” aspect of it, which might help short-circuit some of the “I have to be the best!” brooding that usually gets so tedious in sports anime.
[ Long Riders! ] I like cycling, even if I don’t do it. I like the team aspect of road racing, and I like the individual effort that goes into it. So I’d like it if this show played it more straight and got away from, again, the sports anime aspects that dragged down Yowamushi Pedal. That show was ridiculous in how it dragged things out, in a sport that changes quickly, and that got completely away from the feel of road racing. I’d love to see this show do a little better at that, even if the sports anime fans don’t get the cheesy drama that they usually want. And this one’s from Actas, which doesn’t do a lot of shows, but they did do the best sports anime I’ve seen: Girls und Panzer. Plus, director Tatsuya Yoshihara doesn’t have a background in sports anime, but has done a couple shows that are watchable, if not particularly remarkable.
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Something something something clever about the end of Summer. Something something something even more clever about falling and Autumn. Something something something far too clever for me to have written about all the shows that are starting, with pithy and urbane comments, yet far too many random complaints about last season. I’ll finish off with the expression of the general hopes for this one. OMG look at all the magical girl shows!!!! That’s like way more than one show, that’s like…many…of them! I’ll talk about four of them.
[ Brave Witches ] I’ve been a huge fan of the franchise since I reintroduced myself to anime back in 2011. It was great fun to catch up with the stuff that was already available, and since then it’s been fun to anticipate more. It doesn’t matter what studio produces it, from Gonzo, to AIC, to it’s newest home at Silver Link, the song remains the same: defend the world from the threatening alien monsters.That’s what the show does, and I really don’t see any reason for it to stop doing that now that franchise regulars, the 501st, are passing the storied torch to the newest colorful and lively gang, the 502nd. Same enemy, same stakes, same fanservice, but new character dynamics that have become the real hallmark of this show, Keep to expectations, I say, and add a new layer here and there. Seeing that they’ve kept all the familiar faces behind the scenes, I’m more than happy to see them refine the vision and take to the skies once more with some new ideas. I can’t wait.
[ Shuumatsu no Izetta ] I’m struck with so much deja vu. It was the Winter of 2015, nearly two years ago, that I covered one of my very favorite shows for the blog, Junketsu no Maria. Brilliant show, with lovely characterization, bold background, and some striking historical accuracy. But, one of the things that made it such a strong entry, for me, was that Maria, unlike the Strike Witches I just mentioned, never got a franchise. Yep, it was story that had a confident beginning, engaging middle, and a satisfying end; and in this day and age of near endless repetition and reboot, repackage and repeat, that’s saying something. But darn if Izetta doesn’t feel very much like a spiritual successor. It’s not, at least not by design, as the shows share no creative team members. But this is the feel I’m feeling. Just like Maria, we have a witch, a war, and the struggle to remain humane when things are very very desperate. Great stuff can’t help but happen with that bold a story…I’m looking forward to this one.
[ Hibike Euphonium 2 ] The first series was, hands down, accept no substitutes, no arguments brokered or heard, the AOTY for 2015. Now, I made that case during my coverage of the show week in and week out, so I won’t reiterate here. Needless to say, this is a feather in Kyoto Animation’s cap, and it pretty much has a built in reason to continue.They gotta stomp down hard and win Best Wind in Japan! LOL. I’m only partially joking there, as them winning the Kyoto prefecture is really only the beginning for the band. It looks like they are going to spice things up with the addition of new characters, and continue with some of the romantic lines the introduced the first time around. The hallmark of this show is the strongest character and plot beats around. Credibility is the buzzword here. Again, I can’t wait…
[ Flip Flappers ] Oh my, magical girls in crazyland?! I don’t know where to start with this one…and I mean that, there’s so little to go on that I don’t know where to start. I mean, yeah, go by the synopsis: that’s pretty much generic mahou shoujo, right there. But it looks like a case of nutbags! 3hz hasn’t had a lot of time spent on punching the production bags, and from where I’m sitting they’ve made two uneven series out of the two they got in the bag…But they got the stuff for both action and characterization, they just need to sew things up and keep their storytelling tight. Sora no Method was fairly brilliant drama with just the right touch of moe, but it overextended the ending a bit too far. DimW has a very strong sci-fi background and fantastic superhero style characters, but it came out convoluted and way over-obsessed with some of it’s own details. I’m hoping the third time’s the charm for them, as I love the feel of this one…
[ Soushin Shoujo Matoi ] Well, after both the second season of Is this Order a Rabbit??, and two cour of RE: Zero, I’m kinda on a White Fox studio high. Luckily this show comes along to help me keep that vein tapped. It’s got more magical girls (like four shows this season?) and tons and tons of moe, and it centers on a miko. It also has a creative bench that has done just about everything, so those great character designs and Japan as a Character scenes we know and love come from some hard core pros. It has a pretty solid magical girl premise but the proof will be in it’s own details, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the first episode works out…
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Winter’s coming… But first, we have to get through fall. This year’s harvest brings a plethora of sequels and various other continuations of sorts (like the newest entry to the Crotch Witches franchise). I’m personally most interested in some of the new entries, such as Shuumatsu no Izetta and Girlish Number. But I’ll definitely be watching a good number of sequels, as I’ve already seen prior seasons for most of them.
[ Shuumatsu no Izetta ] Looks like non-traditional “brooms” are trending in the witch community, because here we have a girl flying through the skies on what looks like an anti-tank rifle, of all things. Set in an alternate history version of WWII Europe, Shuumatsu no Izetta promises us the story of a small country’s struggle against invading not-German forces. As Skylion mentions, the formula is highly reminiscent of Junketsu no Maria, but in a different time period. However, it looks like there will be a shift in focus from the more ordinary people to military officials and even royalty. Also, Izetta’s reason for fighting (and it looks like she joins the war effort, rather than trying to prevent war) appears to be much more personal. That is to say, the premise has yuri goggles fogging up for a potential relationship between the titular witch and the princess of the country she fights to defend. But only time will tell if this yuri bait comes to fruition…
[ Girlish Number ] I’ve always thought it was clever of the anime industry to introduce shows focusing on the meta of their own work. They already have an audience that enjoys the product they deliver, and it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that said audience also has an interest in how this product is created. So creating anime about how anime is made is a natural move. Girlish Number continues this trend by providing a look into the struggles of aspiring voice actresses. From what I can tell after watching the PV, it looks like the show will lean more into the dramatic side of things, perhaps with heated rivalries and jealousy. Which is fine, because the original story was written by none other than Wataru Watari of Romcom SNAFU fame. And we all know that he excels at that kind of story.
[ Soushin Shoujo Matoi ] This new mahou shoujo anime didn’t really stand out to me at first. But then I saw that it is actually an original work helmed by White Fox, and now I’m interested. The synopsis and PV don’t give us anything that particularly stands out from other mahou shoujo anime, but White Fox is the true savior that anime deserves (Trigger an overrated wannabe with a gaggle of groupies). So I think that this being their first true anime-original story (if you ignore the fact that Akame ga Kill! ended up diverging from the manga significantly), there is quite a lot of potential for Shoushin Shoujo Matoi to set itself apart from the rest of the magical girl bunch. Who knows, if we’re lucky we might get something more than the boring mahou shoujo deconstruction that we’ve been stuck with ever since Gen the Butcher did his work to the genre.
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Hello to you all! The summer is over and the fall has come, with many other offerings to give. It’s been a summer of a lot of changes for me, and so I wasn’t able to participate in this past season as much as I would have liked to. And even though I will still be scaling back a bit for this season, I’m still really excited simply by what this fall has to offer. This season seems to be a lot lighter than some of the seasons before it. Not a huge amount of new stuff, but this season is actually dominated by sequels this time around. This is cool for me since this includes a couple of my most anticipated sequel seasons for the whole year! You know me, I’m a big mecha fangirl, but there’s also some SoL, magical girl, sports, and vampire greatness out there, all just waiting around the corner.
[ Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekettsu no Orphans Season 2 ] Oh, I am so, so, sooooo excited for this! You guys know how much I love mecha and I am a pretty huge Gundam fan. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans has been my favorite entry to that series to date and I am beyond excited to see the newest season of it. I can’t wait to join up again with Mika, Orga, and the rest of Tekkadan as we come to the next chapter of their story. We left Tekkaden after finishing their first major job in getting Kudelia to Earth, but there are quite a bit of trouble on the horizon involving Gjallarhorn, the space mafia, and age old vendettas that are still at play here. We have new characters this season, new mechs, some interesting plot directions, and a whole lot of awesome is in store for us in this next chapter. But the big question is–Can IBO ever hope to have an OP/ED combination as great as “Raise Your Flag” and “Orphans no Namida”? I think not!
[ Bubuki Buranki: Hoshi no Kyojin ] Well, this was a series that nobody knew was a mecha series when it started, and seemed overly silly, with really different animation, and so nobody watched it. However, those of us who were the few who decided to keep with it, got a really awesome treat out of BBK/BRNK. Considering how few people watched it, I was actually pretty surprised that this series was even going to get a sequel, but here it is, and this time we’ll be following last season’s MC’s more interesting twin sister and seeing what she’s been up to all this time. While rather silly at its surface, there is surprisingly some real depth to the characters in this series, their motivations, and who and what heroes really are. Full of neon technicolor, pretty cool battles, and some very good world building, I’m interested in seeing this new second chapter involving the mechanical titans.
[ Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari ] I’m not a huge SoL fan, but if I spot one that catches my attention in some way, I’m willing to give it a chance. These past seasons, Tanaka-kun and Sweetness & Lightning were the standouts for me in that department. But Udon no Kuni seems to be taking that position this time. Family bond series really charms me. We had the father/daughter relationship of Sweetness this summer, and this looks to be a father/son, or at least older brother/younger brother, relationship dynamic on display here. The only difference of course being that there is a little bit of fantasy involved as well with our small child being not completely human… There are so many shenanigans that are possible from this premise, but also some really heartfelt moments as well.
[ Yuri!!! On Ice ] Every so often, I’ll take a look at a sports series, not often mind you, but they do have their charm. This series was brought to my attention earlier this year and to be honest, I wasn’t that interested in just hearing the synopsis. Sure, I think figure skating is a beautiful sport, and yet, it can also be pretty downright boring in my opinion. But I could say the same thing about competitive swimming, and yet I found Free! to be a pretty awesome series. And when I actually got the chance to see the PV for the series, I was blown away with how beautifully animated the skating movements were, especially accompanied with a great classical soundtrack that has left me quite intrigued. Sure, I’ve heard all the jokes and all the innuendos, but I think this series might (hopefully) have quite a bit more substance than that.
[ Bloodivores ] A newcomer to the season, this Japanese/Chinese collaboration does indeed have the stupidest, unscientific title for this season, and yet, I’m slightly interested in this latest vampire series. The idea that vampires came from a failed medical something or other is nothing new. However, what was the cause of the whole “insomnia outbreak” that led to it all in the first place? What’s going on in this weird town? It will also be interesting to see vampires who have actually lost the war with humans this time around and what it is they have to go through now. While the animation isn’t the best and there isn’t a whole lot to really judge as of yet, I like what I’m seeing thus far. We’re getting both a werewolf and a vampire series this season, I’ll have to see which one will come out on top.
Possibly Blogging: Gundam IBO 2 // BBK/BRNK 2 // Bloodivores
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About Kyokai
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].
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
High:
Ajin S2
Bloodivores
Bungou Stray Dogs S2
Drifters
Luger Code 1951
Strike the Blood II
Moderate:
Brave Witches
Bubuki Buranki: Hoshi no Kyojin
Keijo!!!!!!!!
Lostorage incited WIXOSS
Occultic;Nine
Shuumatsu no Izetta
Trickster: Edogawa Rampo “Shounen Tantei-dan” yori
ViVid Strike!
Low/Possible Drop:
Flip Flappers
Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku
Nanbaka
Kind of a 50/50 season looking at the series line-up. If not for the number of sequels and a few newcomers, I’d be hard-pressed to say there’s much to watch. My seasonal list is slightly lighter than usual. A surprise since Spring and Fall are preferred choices in the year churning out the most potential.
Ajin S2: About time. I’ve waiting to see how Kei Nagai continues his path after the way the first season ended. More human vs non-human oriented series always gets an automatic “yes”.
Bloodivores: By my reckoning, this is the third anime series so far born from a Japanese/Chinese collaboration. Noblesse: Awakening and Hitori no Shita: The Outcast being the recent predecessors. I guess this should be taken as a sign of motivation that people really want this to become a trend. And being the authority on vampires around here, it’s only justice and routine that I oversee this series and pass judgment! Hahaha. That aside, Bloodivores (Interesting title choice) would be the second vampire story I’d ever come across where vampires weren’t a supernatural existence, per se but a product of mutation.
Bungou Stray Dogs S2: Last season was progressively awesome with characters that’d either grow on you or you’d love to see beaten to the ground. So I’m definitely anticipating more Bungou Stray Dogs. Especially with the promise of better events now that the eruption of a three-way fight is imminent. Not to mention getting a mafia alternative since the Summer 2016 surprise 91 Days is on its way out. Time to return to the Port Mafia. Though I’m wary of the thought of seeing more of the insufferable Francis Fitzgerald after last season’s two remaining episodes, even if he is voiced by the badass Takahiro Sakurai.
Drifters: People wouldn’t need to do much to convince me the story is from Hellsing’s author. The character designs and stylized gore from the PV were dead giveaways. Hellsing manage to strike a balance between having a decent enough story to follow while being able to have all out action and violence in equal measure while squeezing in some humor here and there. Therefore, one can only hope Drifters will be able to live up to the standard. Plus, it has own version of Nobunaga Oda who will be voiced by
Madara UchihaNaoya Uchida.Luger Code 1951: Probably the first anime series I’ve ever come across where the story is centered on werewolves. My undying love is for the vampires but I’ll be generous and give the wolves, the opposing side, a chance.
Strike the Blood II: Hope was for a full blown second season after officially 3 years when Fall 2016 starts but an 8 OVA episode format will suffice. The strange part being the choice was to skip the 7th and 8th volumes and jump straight to adapting the 9th to 12th volumes after the first season covered the first 6. Either way, I get a return trip to Itogami Island with Kojou and the gang.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I kind of wanted to try Bloodivores, but Chinese comics just aren’t my thing. And the fact that it’s a webcomic turns me off more, only come across one or two that I’ve ever enjoyed.
Didn’t know Drifters had a Hellsing link. That makes me slightly more interested. And thanks for the Strike the Blood II call out! Didn’t know about the upcoming OVA series. Now I can enjoy more nom nom nom.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I said it in the past, didn’t I? Any advice on vampire animes around here, you need only consult yours truly. On the chance I’m not available, there’s IreneSharda as second in command. I’ll say this much: All the vampire animes that have aired between 2010 and now, about 80% of them I’ve come across as their manga counterpart before the adaptation. The remaining 20% is between the reversals or from a medium I wasn’t aware of.
Same author. Acceptable enough reason to check it out. Hopefully it won’t take 6 years to complete like Hellsing did with its 10 OVA episodes.
No problem! Happy to help out!! With so many spare volumes and Strike the Blood being a hot seller in Japan to this day, it’s high time we got an anime continuation. Though we can’t forget about Strike the Blood: Valkyria no Oukoku-hen, a two-episode OVA series from Fall 2015 with an original story made by the author.
Hey, here’s some reminders:
Strike the Blood – Awakening
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I did catch the OVA, which surprised me since I didn’t know it was coming. It just appeared, and my must-watch radar went off.
What’s your initial take on Bloodivores so far?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
How high was the frequency when the radar went off? 😉 Anyway, yeah, it was more of just what makes Strike the Blood so fun to watch. The neck biting is always the best part.
I just saw the first episode so it’s still in the thought process and too early to say. I’ll let you know when its First Impression gets out. IreneSharda will be helming it, according to her list.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
Hmmm…This Season seem to be a lot to pick with IMO…so yeah let’s see now!
1. Hibike, Euphonium s2 – Yup! They are back alright, i wonder what the antics are going to unravel on this season! and (ahem)…Please Ms. Trumpet try to behave yourself really really nicely…please 🙂
2. Brave Witches – Yup, The “Witches” are back, but with a new people there, to be honest I’am not really a fan of this but I’am on with this for a long time now so yeah…i’am in!
3. Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku – Well…I should say…This:
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4. Shuumatsu No Izzeta – An alternate world/WW2 story eh, with a witch, But a different one, not from a typical one that we know…so…Why not! But I need to finish this show first…
5. Keijo!!!! – Yup that’s a Shonen Manga base show alright, with fan services in it, well, i hope they doing it right for this…cuz fan service shows are sometimes had a lot of failure rates on it!
6. Stella no Mahou – Another MTK/4-Koma Show, I think they are the fans of this…Game…oops Joke! XDDDD
7. Flip Flappers – Another Magical Girl Show, No Idea for this for a moment!
8. Soushin Shoujo Matoi – Wait, Another Magical Girl Show?!, that is technically about 5 MG shows in this season, this one seem to be with religious involvement there…
9. Long Riders! – Girls on bikes huh…Fine, I should take a look…
10. Lostorage Incited WIXOSS – Will this show is going to be on a brighter side now? (IE a friendly card game tournament, rather than a Sinister gimmick of ruining their lives cuz of this)Well…Sadly, No! so what in for this…Losing/Stealing Memories Wow…That is somehow more sinister…but fine!
Others Pick:
– Yuri on Ice: Boys on a ice skates, Hmph i’ll try this
– Fune no Amu: a Business Show or sort, i had no comments on this…
– Vivid Strikers: So They are back too…
– Show by Rock: meh…ok!
I guess this is what i pick for this season…so…Yeah, it’s kinda a lot…
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POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Yeah, I was like… what happens after episode 4??? (╯︵╰,)
It’s getting rebooted next season? (｡´∀｀)ﾉ
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah Regalia just came back like a few days ago, but idk if ill watch? Maybe?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yui had her showdown with the dude from the other nation, but we have to have the PoliSciAngst before we get to the battle…But after five episodes I could finally nail down a theme that show is looking to groove on.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
Speaking of which, yes it seem that The Winter Sorrow (Ingrid and Kei) will show up in battle real soon…i just can’t wait.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
@Overcooled: I might need glasses because I currently don’t believe my eyes but did I just see Keijo!!!!!!!! on your list?! I’m not a manga reader but the poster and PV told me bare-faced that even if there’s a shounen feel, it’s rife with ecchi and you’re not known to be a fan of that (I, myself, however, would go in without hesitation. LOL). Who are you and what have you done with the real OC? 😉
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It’s really me! Don’t forget the first series I ever blogged for Metanorn was Highschool of the Dead. I’m not usually an ecchi fan though…there just has to be a good structure the fanservice is built around (not romance) and then I’m totally in.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s true. You did blog Highschool of the Dead. Shiki was your second pick. There was some other series you surprised me with on your list. Oh yeah, it was Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride. I might have to start re-evaluating you, huh? 😛
I’m with you on the no romance bit. Not a fan of that genre, especially when it’s forced.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
By the way, I recently saw your Shokugeki no Souma In Real Life: From Ramen to Hamburgers article on MAL. Nicely done, OC.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Thank you!!!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
No problem!!!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I know a few girls that don’t mind fanservice, but they are kinda the same with the whole “long as there isn’t romance involved” which is fine.
That and I heard Keijo’s manga is really good lol.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
@IreneSharda:
What do you mean by that? That’s more or less what happened in Shiki even though the humans had their village burned to the ground. And I can think of other shows with a fight against vampires where the defeated still has yet to be declared.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
In Shiki the defeat of the vampire was the climax and falling action of the series. And yes there are several series where the defeat of vampires is up in the air, but again it’s usually at the end of the series.
However, for us seeing the aftermath of a defeat of the vampires where it is known that they were defeated and we get to see what life is like for vampires as losers of the war in a human world.
Here, the war with vampires is basically in the prologue and we’re seeing the aftermath after the defeat has already happened. I’m interested in seeing what life is like for vampires who have been defeated already and now to see what their role is now in society.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Yeah, quite a shame. For me, that is. If the vampires in Shiki had someone like Crowley Eusford on their side, Sotoba Village would’ve been under their control within 48 hours. Maybe less. 😉
For instance, the fight in Seraph of the End/Owari no Seraph is still ongoing but picking any side to root for is equal to making a deal with the devil. In Trinity Blood, some are fighting… for a peaceful coexistence.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Id love that! I mean most of the time vampires in anime are seen as overpowered and crazy strong! I wouldn’t mind a setup with the humans being the dominate species while the vamps are hiding because they are afraid of the humans instead of ruling over them.
or a possible option 3 like a True Blood setup where you have a world in which humans and vampires live together without feeding off humans because scientists created synthetic blood for them to drink instead, but of course there are a handful of bad apples that ruin that whole setup fast…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
That’s natural and to be expected, anime or otherwise. The two species are put in a food chain outlook. Humans are the prey and vampires are the predators that live off human blood. In another outlook, the former are the sheep and the latter are the wolves. So it only makes sense vampires would be portrayed as the stronger of the two and in some stories, the humans would be called “livestock”. The one difference is that humans have the numbers on their side.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
Summer looked decent (and turned out to be very deceiving), and overall ended up disappointing me with lots of dropped shows, along with one that had a false start. My summer hit-rate was 50%, down from 65% in spring. Here’s hoping my pre-season impression rate is a bit better this time!!!
MLB Playoffs here we come!
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Shuumatsu no Izetta – Guns and magic, good stuff. It gave us Strike Witches, which I highly enjoyed to my surprise. Add in military and historical warfare, and it’s just a good combo. Nice character designs helps too~
http://WWW.WORKING!! – Working! with a different cast. Work work work
Stella no Mahou – Slice-of-life! In a school setting! I’m just a sucker for these things.
Hibike! Euphonium 2 – Strong first season, expecting another strong outing.
Bungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season – The first season was a fun ride with a highly amusing cast, can’t go wrong with having more!
Brave Witches – Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, more Strike Witches goodness. Even if it’s a spin-off, I’m still excited.
Girlish Number – The recent string of shows has turned me slightly favorable to anime about anime/manga. Sore ga Seiyuu and NEW GAME! were highly enjoyable, so looking to see if this will follow in the same vein~~~
3-gatsu no Lion – I don’t really know much about Shogi, but the promo art looks great. And you say it’s based off Honey and Clover mangaka Umino Chika paired with Shafty Shinobu? Oooohhhh yesssssss
Occultic;Nine – I’ve started inching into paranormal anime (lightly, mind you), and so far I’ve liked what I’ve dabbled in. Plus it has a team that have been involved in good shows and A-1, definitely checking this one out.
Strike the Blood II – Thoroughly enjoyed the first season, and wanting to see more of OP vampire MC and his awesome tsundere harem.
Some World Cup of Hockey that no one has ever heard about… and about 5 people are interested in
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Soushin Shoujo Matoi – This is so colorful, and the premise sounds so odd that it just demands I try it out. I’m oddly reminded of Kamisama Hajimemashita but there’s no kitsune here.
Watashi ga Motete Dou Sunda – I read the manga, and while it didn’t knock any balls out of the park, it had an interesting enough premise. It is slice-of-life and romance, so I’m interested, but the fact I can’t remember much about the couple of chapters I read (beyond the starving make-over transformation) is leading me to be a little hesitant.
Drifters – It looks like it’ll have solid action, but the idea of throwing all these strong warriors together and having a battle royale sounds too shounen-y. I’ll try a bit, but I don’t have high hopes.
Classicaloid – This looks weird. It also might taste weird. But I like classical themes, so hoping it’ll have a strong foundation of music with a side of funny.
Long Riders! – Yowamushi Pedal with moe. You know, it might just work.
Well what do you know, I didn’t see this coming. A fifth season of Natsume Yuujinchou? I’ve been meaning to watch the first season… actually I have the first two episodes lined up! Just actually need to watch it =P I’ve been saying that for some years now… =3
This is looking to be a light season, about 15 shows I’m planning to check out. I might pick up one or two others if they get rave reviews, but somehow doubt that will happen (picking them up, not the rave reviews part).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Long Riders! I can see how people think of YowPedal only with moe, but I think it’s far easier to think of One Off, or Bakuon only with Bicycles.
Brave Witches. They’ve been busy outside of the anime, and the Witches franchise has lots of LNs to draw from. It looks like they might even get around to the Noble Witches…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Like I said about Long Riders!, I really hope it’s not YowaPedal with moe. That would, frankly, suck. That show even managed to turn off a lot of people who actually DO like sports anime because it ramped up the sports-anime-ness to 18 or 19 (on a scale of 1-10).
I’d much rather see it be something like Bakuon! or more in the spirit of Girls und Panzer, where the sportsiness was subsumed under furious action and a timeline that moved with alacrity.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I don’t think Alacrity raced with YowPedal, did it?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Alacrity was nowhere to be found in the expanded region around YowaPedal. Or ever mentioned in conjunction without a negative modifier.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
So, Long Riders is already doing well just by default, it seems. I’m still wanting my moe cowboys mounted raiders/robbers though…
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I’m a road cyclist (not super hardcore, I enjoy 20+ mile jaunts at speed with my speedo aerodynamic suit), and love cycling, but couldn’t get into Yowamushi Pedal. It felt like I was watching DBZ on bicycles… no thanks.
But I can take moe with anything.
I did like OverDrive though. It felt more realistic.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I should introduce Wind Breaker Manhwa here, which deals with extreme version of biking. It has been amazing so far, so sports fans, definitely check it out.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Bungou Stray Dogs 2nd Season: Fully agreed on the first season for being and having an amusing cast. Don’t forget the action in between. The interesting part is the concept of having the characters along with their abilities based off famous authors and their works.
First season had a horde of Japanese author names while beginning to introduce American counterparts at the end. You’ve already seen Francis Fitzgerald and Lucy Maud Montgomery, so be on the lookout for (Check spoiler tag):
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Strike the Blood II: Join the club, comrade! Strike the Blood was entertaining from start to finish, leaving a lot more to be seen. There’s just something about vampires drinking blood and effortlessly capable of claiming people for themselves. Looking forward to seeing Kojou continue his path to being fit to be called the 4th Progenitor.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I think spammy did away with my post.
I’m surprised no one is interested in 3-gatsu no Lion. Also surprised two people are interested in Keijo!!!!!!!!. Well, I expected Highway to check it out, but OC you came way out of left field on this one. =P
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Your comment has been revived.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
domo arigato
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
=( I think it ate another comment of mine from last night.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Sorry, I didn’t see another one of yours (even if you butchered up your name again 😉 ).
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
=D
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m interested in 3-gatsu no Lion, but not in the sort of way that I’m particularly looking forward to it. It could be the kind of thing that really strikes me, or it could be… not.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Highway has some Shinbu/Shaft aversion…
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
so did the first season of hibike euphonium solidify it as your favorite anime of all time??
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It’s a really hard comparison. It’s a truly excellent show, one that everyone should give a try. But there are a few shows that I do watch again and again, and they always make me think “Yeah, this is why I think this is so great” like Girls und Panzer, Mouretsu Pirates (which doesn’t get anywhere near the credit it deserves), Toradora, Glasslip, and Hibike! Euphonium. ReLife is really close, but I don’t think it really quite gets there.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
lmao thanks to Keijo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t hide my love for the booty any longer
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
*plays the song “I like big butts”*
Time for this servant to re-evaluate the image he had of his master. 😛
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I feel your pain because I’m currently experiencing it right now.
Yeah, at the time, that surprised to the point my jaw dropped. Until I was reminded the first show OC ever blogged for Metanorn was Highschool of the Dead.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Butts and MOAR BUTTS yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I actually forgot about Occultic;Nine! That one looks cool too..although the naming for this franchise is just getting worse and worse.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
The PV seemed so similar to Stein;Gate and what do you know, same creator and thus, usage of ;. This better not be another Chaos;HEAd.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
… Yeah Chaos head was trippy and not in a good way.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Occultic;Nine definitely looks kinda interesting! It has this odd Durarara/Persona vibe going on and I can somewhat agree their naming process is a bit odd…I guess shoving two words together works.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
TL;DR 😛 Most of it.
Going to take the tried and tested route: Watch the OP and see what interests me. In the meantime, World of POI! Full broadside!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I kinda figure you would be a strike witch fan or possibly Nanoha.
I guess judging if a series is watchable by OP works but sometimes the OP can be deceiving! Like Death Parade’s OP is clearly nothing like the actual series LOL
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Yes. Don’t judge a book by its cover.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Is there a LOLiha? If no, then no.