Fall 2012 Anime Wild Mass Guessing

Blind and mostly-blind speculation eats poo, right? I haven’t seen a season preview in six months. I’d be doubting that they were still around if I didn’t remember that the blogosphere generally thinks they’re a good idea for some reason.

I always open my season previews by badmouthing season previews, then doing one anyway. I’ve been doing them for exactly five years now, starting with Fall 2007, back when I didn’t know SHIT, and my post was as worthless as the next asshole’s.

Now it’s different. Not to sound (too) pretentious, but I think I bring a little more to the table with my season previews. Not because I have magical clairvoyance and can predict if a show is good or not, but because I can bust open the speculation doors with staff analysis and raise the stakes on hype to drive you mad, wondering if the show will live up to the reputation of its creators, or flop hard.

That’s the thing with predictions. They’re never more than the tiniest bit certain. Every creator has their shitty shows (sometimes shitty decades). No matter how much of a dream team you get working with an A+ studio, you never know when they’re gonna crank out a no-try cash-in. Who could possibly have thought that after Samurai Champloo, Ergo Proxy, Michiko e Hatchin, and even The World God Only Knows, Manglobe was going to crank out fucking Deadman Wonderland and Mashiro-iro Symphony, while working on a Hayate movie? No one. No one at all.

All I can do is tell you what the staff has done before, and evoke a picture of the possibilities. I can build a hype wave that can mercilessly crash on your expectations, like Ao no Exorcist or Yozakura Quartet of Gunslinger Girl S2, or I can understate the potential of a show that turns out to be fucking awesome.

Whatever happens… this is my preview.

Summer 2011 Anime Preview in One Minute

Alternate title: Summer 2011 Preview That Took Me Less Than 30 Mins To Write. I’m saying it in hopes it actually happens.

Here’s your chart:

Feels Good Man: Spring 2011

I get to be in a cool position for Spring 2011. More than ever before, I know a lot about most of the shows that are coming out this season. It helps that I read a lot more manga last year than I used to, but it’s just coincidence that several of those being adapted are among my favorites. This isn’t a pro season preview post like you can find other places, but hopefully you’ll learn something useful to your decisions about the next season here. And my co-blogger, Thoughtcannon, will be helping me out.

Thoughtcannon: I on the other hand have read exactly jack squat in terms of manga and am mostly going into this season based on wits alone. It takes a keen eye and a sure foot to separate the anime wheat from the anime chaff. I have neither superlative appendage, which is probably why I watched all of Heroman, 07-Ghost, and the 2nd season of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. Most likely I will also watch every piece of tripe that comes out in Spring as well…including sequels…especially sequels.

Summer Season 2010 Anime Preview

It’s been a while since I did one of these. When I started this blog I did them rather seriously, and then I gradually made them sillier until I stopped altogether. This was mostly because I didn’t like most of the season previews I read, but the sensible thing to do would’ve been produce one that I did like so that people who feel the way I do have a preview post. I think that my wide knowledge of anime production and my very optimistic outlook on upcoming shows are something that the blogosphere is sparse on, so rather than whine about it, I should become the change that I want to see. Thus, here’s my summer 2010 season preview.

Beginning, of course, with the requisite link to Chartfag’s Summer 2010 chart so that you can see it all in one place. Also see it for show summaries as I will not provide them below (though I found trailers for almost everything). I also got all of my airdates from anime calendar except where noted.

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Fall 09 Shows To Look Forward To

Kimi ni Todoke is my #1 show to look out for this season!

In the past, I have declared my disgust toward season previews because of the fact that people often put down or dissuade interest from a show in spite of the fact that there isn’t much to know about the shows yet, and those people rarely do comprehensive research on the shows they are previewing. Not wanting to be a part of that negativity, I have researched the shows coming out in Fall 09 and am here to tell you which ones I’m looking forward to, and that you may want to check out. :D

Summer 09 Looks Fucking AWESOME!

Holy shit dude! I know I said last season how much I hated season previews, but this coming season looks very awesome. I’m glad this year is going so much better than last year! The current season has been full of great shows, but none that really had that special something that would make it one of my favorites. However, the summer season contains a metric fuckton of potential favorites for me. Let’s dive in!

I Hate Season Previews, But Here's Mine

I hate writing season previews because I get all excited about a lot of shows that I probably won’t watch until they are over anyway. However, much more than that, I HATE reading season previews. Why? Because people are fucking idiots about them. Almost every time I see a preview, it’s 90% pessimistic, blasting a show based on the character design and tiny shitty description they get of the show.  Some at last have the fucking decency to bring up studios, but even still they don’t bother to do extra research about the show. People, if you think a show looks stupid, why do I give a fuck? Who the fuck wants to read some bitch-ass making himself look cool by blasting a show that hasn’t even aired that he’ll probably end up loving and fanboying over.

Season previews make people look stupid as shit and can create negative vibes towards a show that doens’t need them. Fucking fall 07, some dumb little fucks accused Bamboo Blade of looking like some harem anime, and when that impression got let loose, tons of people avoided the show thinking it’d be some harem show. So all those people missed out on one of the best little gems of the 07-08 cross-season thanks to some fucking stupid rumors from people who hadn’t watch the fucking show. FUCK your uneducated season previews, if you won’t bother to FUCKING research the FUCKING show then SHUT THE FUCK UP. Anyway, here’s mine.

Fall 2008 – What I Might Keep Up With Next Season

This season more or less sucks. There’s Hidamari but I keep forgetting it’s airing now. The only other good shows this season aren’t even on TV – Xam’d is on PSN and DETROIT METAL CITY is an OVA. Ordinarily when a season sucks it’s because half of the previous season is still airing. But Kanokon and Kurenai are all that mattered last season. The two solid 26-ep shows, Code Geass and Macross Frontier, are both just okay at best.

Well, maybe I’m not being fair. I’ve heard good things about Natsume Yuujinchou, Mission E, and Birdy the Mighty and I liked all of their first episodes but didn’t continue any. It’s just hard for me to get into a season when it’s lacking any truly awesome surefire hits. I was pretty proud of myself with how far I got last year having Kurenai and Code Geass as support beams, but I’m not seeing one this season. At least I’ve started Sekirei and it seems to be fun.

However, next season looks FUCKING OMG YES! So here’s my fall season excited-dar.

HOLY SHIT FUCK YES OMG WIN NO WAI WIN of fall 08 (in broadcast order)

Yozakura Quartet – you only need to know one thing: MATSUO FUCKING KOU. He directed RED GARDEN and KURE-NAI and if this show’s any good, he will give Shinbo a run for his money for the top director spot. I don’t know much about the plot, except that I’ve almost bought the first volume of the manga multiple times just because it has a girl with a guitar on the cover. Patz tells me it’s pretty good, so maybe I’ll go pick up the manga. I mean, it’s got a girl with a guitar on it : D

EF ~ A TALE OF MELODIES~ – FUCKING EF MOTHAPHUKKA!!!!!!

CHAOS;HEAD – <- how it’s always written. This one is a non-H visual novel known for violence. I’ve been told the main character is hatable but just insane enough to be forgiven. Anyway there’s grisly murders and psychological mystery. But you know that’s not enough to get me excited!! It’s being done by MADHOUSE which is always a good thing and the people working on it seem to be pretty solid, though the director has done nothing particularly good, however this might be his breakthrough anime. Here’s hoping, because this could be seriously fucking awesome!

To Aru Majutsu no Index – First of all, long-ass running series of light novels (16!), second of all, plot sounds interesting, and of course, from the director of Melody of Oblivion and Azumanga Daioh (neither of which is one of my favorites, but one of which is great, and the other of which features fuckwin directing). Lead female is adorable and ‘Index’ is an epic name.

Casshern SINS – MADHOUSE is fucking busy this season! This looks awesome. Reawakened classics with the right people working on them always kick ass and I’ve needed my transforming hero fix from something more recent (maybe I’ll watch eps of this back to back with guyver or tekkaman)

Hyakko! – Slice-of-life comedy with all female cast. Always means good things!

SHIKABANE HIME ASA – GAINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAX!!!!!!! Also, director did Mazinkaiser and the TV version of Giant Robo as well as episodes of Lain and Boogiepop. A catalog that sounds right at home with GAINAX.

Michiko to Hatchin – Going by the looks and description, this has the potential to be the best anime ever. It’s Manglobe, who shat it up with Ergo Proxy but also did Samurai Champloo and since this seems to be in the vein of the latter, I’m getting excited! The director is having his first directing job but everything he’s been involved with kicks ass and Shinichiro Watanabe is actually getting off his lazy ass and doing the show’s music! This could be a godly combo.

MAYBE! (same order)

Toradora – The description sounds the fucking EXACT same as the shitty Nogizaka Haruka however it’s a light novel adaption and I am 100% obligated to try out all light novel adaptions.

Gai-Rei-Zero – Potentially fucking awesome and has the director of the first Kara no Kyoukai movie.

Macademi WAsshoi! – RO! RI! I! TA!

Kyou no Go no Ni – I haven’t finished the OVA but what I saw was fucking hilarious and beyond loli-tastic.

KUROZUKA – It’s Madhouse once again, and this time the director who did Death Note. The plot is totally nonsensical from ANN’s blurb, but it might be one of Madhouse’s arts forays which would be great.

Tytania – I can already tell this will be the season’s popular anime. Looks either really cool or really boring. It’s Artland who have done stellar (Mushishi) and shitty (Yugo the Negotiator and Gunslinger Girl il treano) so could go anywhere.

Kuro Shitsuji – I can’t find any info on this but the site is gothic, and the main character kid wears an eyepath. however there’s an equal chance it’s boys love. Must be cautious.

Kurogane no Linebarrel – GONZO.

Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens – Did you read the name?! Also excellent designs.

Alive – GONZO does Suicide Club?! Will wait for more info since it starts late.

Let's Do This Mothafuckaz – Summer 08

Spring 08 has been one of the only seasons where I’ve ever actually kept up with any fucking shows. So far it’s slightly beating out Fall for total eps watched, if only because I was watching a lot more in the fall. I’d be tempted to call Spring a pretty weak season. Kure-nai is, of course, awesome, but not much else is even good. Amatsuki is great, but it still hasn’t done much to wow me or make it at all memorable, and the other shows I’m still watching are Macross F, Kyouran, and Twenty Faces, none of which I’m caught up on and none of which will sill be in my mind by next season. I totally forgot I was even watching Soul Eater, which has been a nonstop mixed bag and all around top-grade shounen action show. Code Geass R2 is fine, but it’s a sequel so it had an advantage already.

So anyway, a lot of shit looks promising for Summer. There look to be a number of action shows which is always a good thing. There’s also the long-awaited HIDAMARI SKETCH 360 which is fuckwin on a stick. Plus, motherfucking Detroit Metal City. I don’t even give a fuck what it’s about, it’s a fucking show with metal in the title, you know I’ll watch that shit. Since nothing else has much info, I can’t really comment on it, unless I spend an hour on some useless shit like I did for the current season.

God I can’t wait for more Candy Boy.

(I May or May Not Watch Anything From) SPRING 08!

Why am I not doing what I did for the last 2 seasons? Both times having posted a list of everything airing and talking about them? Because there’s maybe a 5% chance I will actually watch anything while it’s airing. Back in Fall I was trying to episodically blog everything, but I never got past episode 6 of ANYTHING, except for ef. So in Winter I thought I could do it right and watch everything this time, but I did even worse and didn’t get past the first episode of anything except for Hatenkou Yuugi which I had the fortune to watch 3 eps of at once.

So this season, I’m just going to list the shows that I will at least make the attempt to check out but I’m not making any promises. (stuff I’m particularly looking forward to in CAPS)

Allison & Lillia – Pretty art!

Macross FRONTIER – Actually, I’ll probably keep up with this. It’s fucking MACROSS.

xxxholic S2 – assuming I actually finish S1

kure-nai – the art looks like Chokkoto Sister all over again, which I only just started watching. However, there’s no way i’m passing up adorable little girl main characters.

Amatsuki? – I don’t know, the guy’s shirt looks cool. It’s a stretch.

KAMEN NO MAID GUY – Ultraviolence with an absurdly huge man in a maid outfit? 100% awesome.

CODE GEASS SEASON 2 – Echoing everyone else’s fear of anime cliffhanger conclusions, but if it’s as badass as S1 it’s gunning for a favorite.

Wagara no Oinara-sama – Moar furries? Wolf and Spice must’ve done well last season.

Nabari – Okay, theres a ton of pretty boys, but there’s also a rally really cool-looking girl. Okay, It’ll probably be totally homo.

SOUL EATER – Great-looking art and Andrew Cunningham like it. Must be good.

Toshokan Sensou – FREAKING LIBRARY WARS.

Golgo 13 – Apparently it’s legendary or something.

Kyouran Kazoku Nikki – Looks funny.

Nijuu Mensou Musume – the websitedesign was realy pretentious YES I know I am way too easy.

CANDY BOY – OMG my favorite 7-minute yuri is becoming a 7-ep show!!! Yes!!!

and most importantly

HIDAMARI SKETCH SEASON 2 – I don’t think I need to tell you how awesome this is gunna be.