Spring 2010 Season Preview

Springtime is supposed to be a time of rebirth… but will it be a healing time for the weary, scarred-for-life anime fans out there who are tired of being fed crap each season? Don’t get us wrong, there have been some really good series in the past 3 or so years, but there’s also been tons of legitly horrible shows.

The consensus at BH is that this season’s fairly lame again, but there are several shows we think might be decent or even good. And since we have more bloggers on board, we’ll get a broader look at the season than usual.

The usual disclaimers: We try not to hate on something too hard without watching it (except for the ecchi trash) and all of this is subject to change. Episode count information is scarce this season, and even definite air dates are unknown for some series, especially the ONAs.

Ai no Kusabi
13 episodes?, starts releases in March, animated by AIC

CJ: So this is a remake of an old yaoi OVA? Interesting that they should be bothered making a remake, but I’ll pass; yaoi’s not my thing.
Crisu: I’m not a yaoi fan, but based on the apparent track record of this show’s longevity, I perhaps ought to look into this if I were a fan.  A strict social system is in place that allows males to serve other males (insert teasing here), the highest-ranked ones are forbidden to have sex (oh the tension), and there are slums in a neighboring city where such rules don’t apply (conflict and suspense).  Looks like a lot of good elements to see boys yearn for one another.  I won’t be watching, but I’ll probably hear about it from a few people nonetheless.
Dave: I should start by saying that man love isn’t wholly my bag. (I did, however, see one of the OVAs a while back.) This is what you get when you mix yaoi and Ghost In The Shell. No, really. It’s hard to define just what sort of Orwellian overtones exist here, but if the critical reception of the manga is any indication this should be worth watching if it’s up your alley.

Angel Beats
starts in April, animated by PA Works

CJ: Angels are overdone. Girls with guns are overdone. Why do I get the feeling I’m going to watch this anyway?
Crisu: Yes, definitely. I am a Key fan, so it’s a must-watch. And PA Works will be a treat — gives me a break from KyoAni for a while.
Rakuen: An organization in the afterlife wants to war against God. They’re sure going to have hell to pay. Well, the trailer looks certainly looks interesting; though I have a feeling the fanservice stick will hit it a few times. That never killed anyone though, right?
Raphael: Wow, what a pedigree! Original story by Key, animation by PA Works and the trailer looks stunning. I’m also a sucker for supernatural battle-type shows and the afterlife theme seems really interesting. I can’t wait for this one.

Arakawa Under the Bridge
starts in April, animated by Shaft

CJ: Most of Shaft’s shows haven’t really caught my eye, lately, though I have been really meaning to watch Bakemonogatari… Maybe I’ll follow this, maybe not; I think it’ll come down to what the blogosphere says and how much free time I have.
Crisu: I see a star-head man and a green (frog?) man. And it’s by Shaft. Nevermind, this is TOTALLY normal.
Rakuen: A guy almost drowns, but a girl saves him. He becomes her boyfriend, but has to live under a bridge with her. I am very confused here, and the commercial doesn’t really help clear things up, though it prominently features a kappa. MAL lists the genre as comedy, which seems like a given, so I will try to give it a shot.
lvlln: I’ll definitely be watching this primarily for 2 reasons: it’s being produced by Shaft, and it stars Maaya Sakamoto as the female lead. I don’t know anything about the source material, but I have greatly enjoyed the unique spin Shaft puts on their adaptations, whether they be drama or comedy or both. And I could listen to Maaya’s voice all day (in fact, I sometimes do, putting her music on my playlist). This is one I would definitely like to blog.
Raphael: This is one of the shows I’m eagerly awaiting. It’s Shaft, it’s got a strong voice cast and it looks both fun and bizarre. I’m definitely going to check this out and I may blog this.
Dave: I’m not really sure what I can say about this. Plotwise, it just seems like an archetypal Love Story. Visually, though, I want to touch the Star Guy’s head. I bet it will make me invulnerable.

B Gata H Kei
starts April 1, animated by Hal Film Maker

CJ: Wow. I am a nun compared to this chick.
Crisu: o.O Hrm. The synopsis gives me a negative impression just based on the aspiration itself. But that could just be the lonesome single me taking out my frustrations on an anime character. Most likely a comedy or the plot wouldn’t really go too well on TV; my first impression of the artwork is good. I’ll wait on the reception.
Rakuen: If you heard a cracking sound, that was my soul breaking just a little bit more. A girl wants to become a promiscuous socialite but finds the boy of her dreams. I’m going with pure ecchi trash on this one.
Raphael: I quite like Hal Film Maker, but seriously. Yuck. Even if the humour is good, I don’t think I can get past the premise.

Black Rock Shooter
unknown start date, animated by Ordet
(Admin note: Most sources are saying this was originally announced as a Spring 2010 series, but there’s nothing indicating that on the website now. Draw your own conclusions…)

CJ: I really couldn’t care less about an anime based on a Hatsune Miku song… I mean, really, what is the plot of this thing going to be? Supposedly the creator of the character has a whole world fleshed out and everything, but… Eh…
Crisu: Am interested! The pilot was super short, but it gave a glimpse of what could be. It stirred some talk in ISML land, so I don’t know what will become of BRS come 2011. She definitely has the looks. And the ability to fight could rival Shana (although the Flame Haze has a lot more story behind her).
Rakuen: I honestly have no idea about this, but I already see a tremendous number of members logged on MAL for it, so I think I will take the plunge on it.
lvlln: I found out about this one by being a fan of Supercell. I liked how the PVs have stayed true to the art from the original video. The fact that the PV uses the original track as well leaves me wondering if they’ll actually have Hatsune Miku as the voice for songs in the show. I hope Supercell is involved in this in some way and that maybe we’ll get to hear Black Rock Shooter sung with Nagi’s wonderful voice. Definitely gonna be watching this.

D.C. ~Da Capo~ Ext
starts in April, animated by Feel

CJ: Do you really think I’m going to waste my time on generic moeblobs?
Crisu: A retelling? Since I hadn’t gotten to the original series yet, would this be a decent substitute to catch up on it all?
Rakuen: I never watched any of Da Capo, and looking at the series history, it just looks like a passable harem anime built over an eroge. If I understand what little information I can even find, this is like a reboot for the series, and so it’s possible to jump onto this boat if you want. Of course, I could be wrong, but I’m still not really going to care about this series.
lvlln: This fascinates me because way back around 2005/2006, I had watched both seasons of Da Capo back to back. I regret the hours I sunk into that greatly, but it fills me with wonder how I had managed to sit through over 18 hours of such a crappy series. So I’m pretty biased against the show, but I think I’ll watch at least a couple episodes, in a way similar to revisiting an old enemy from middle school. At the least, I wonder if they’ll bring back all the same voice actors.

Giant Killing
starts April 4, animated by DEEN

CJ: This looks cool, but I’m not really into soccer or underdog stories. Maybe I’ll give it a chance if the blogosphere starts saying it’s awesome, but I don’t really trust Studio DEEN anymore…
Rakuen: Here comes another sports anime this season. However, unlike the others, the total underdog story kind of appeals to me. The coach has to pull his team all the way out from rock bottom. I like the animation style as well. So, if I were to pick up a sports related series, I would pick this.
Dave: Couldn’t they just have called in Beckham? Joking aside, my biggest point of interest about this is how you can stretch something that has the same premise as Angels in the Outfield or Remember the Titans into a full-length series (though, since it’s a manga, I guess…). I think I’ll give this one a watch just to find out the answer.

Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan
starts in April, animated by DEEN

CJ: Haven’t we had enough wanna-be Byronic heroes for one decade already?
Rakuen: This series tries to put a romance story into the history of the Shinsengumi. I’m not sure what to make of this one. It sounds like a little potential is there, but it screams bishonen and has the potential to devolve into reverse harem. Of course, romance with swordsmen fighting demons is hardly a unique concept either.
Raphael: This is potentially interesting, but I’m thrown by the setting and character designs. So once again, a probable “no”.
Dave: Game-based anime aren’t really doing much for me, but it’s certainly an interestingly-sounding premise, so who knows? I might be surprised by this. Also, it has swords. Can’t go wrong with swords.

Heroman
starts in April, animated by Bones

CJ: This one will either sink horribly or swim quite well… Probably the latter, since it’s Bones. But it’s worth watching the first episode, whether the outcome is win or twisted lulzyness.
Rakuen: I can’t find a video of this on Youtube, but the preview image just screams that it’s trying to be very American in a Japanese culture. You just don’t build a robot sporting the Star-Spangled Banner otherwise. I’d rather watch Iron Man.
Raphael: My thoughts towards this are pretty much the same as mine for Iron Man (switch “Madhouse” with “Bones”) except I think I’ll dive in and watch the first episode of this one, because the art looks strong.
Dave: I want this to be Stan Lee’s take on Giant Robo. I really, really do. I want to watch this.

Hetalia season 3
starts in April?, animated by DEEN

CJ: Maybe I’ll watch this just to get Jenni to stop nagging me…
Crisu: On my list … as well as the prior seasons. I know they’re short; it won’t take me long to catch up! But any bit of learning in anime, even if it’s silly, is praiseworthy for the attempt.
Rakuen: Completely missed Hetalia, and I have no stake in trying to catch up. I’m sorry if that makes me uncool.

House of Five Leaves
starts April 15, animated by Manglobe

CJ: I’ve been meaning to check out the manga via IKKI, but I might as well just try this. The concept doesn’t intrigue me that much, but it’s worth a shot, just for the sake of trying something different…
Rakuen: I am a sucker for samurais and swords as well. This time we have a shy and unconfident samurai. After everyone else throws him out, he ends up joining a gang though, and finds himself sucked into the work and motivation. It sounds like it’s trying to explore the concept that darkness isn’t necessarily evil, which again, is a mechanic I enjoy, so I might give it a shot.
Dave: Now, I didn’t really watch Secret Blacksmith, and it’s been a while since I dug out Michiko to Hatchin, so my relationship with Manglobe has become a bit stale. They’ve never failed to deliever visually, and given that this is yet another period piece (hi, Samurai Champloo) they’ve certainly got the experience to do it. Looking forward to this.

Ichiban Ushiro no Dai Maou
starts in April, animated by Artland

CJ: This… looks dumb. Like, legit shounen-y trash. There could be potential in this, but I’m really not seeing it, especially with the lame promo art.
Rakuen: Just looking at the promotional image screams ecchi harem. What’s worse is that it sticks itself into the magical academy ground that many series have already treaded. Maybe if the spring season were less populated, I’d give it a look, like Omamori Himari from this season. There’s just too much going on already to justify watching it.
Raphael: Iffy on this one, but there’s a solid voice cast and I’ll definitely check out the first episode. This could be the show that I watch (and enjoy) but would never tell anyone in RL about, a la Saki and Kampfer.

Ikkitousen – Xtreme Xecutor
starts March 26, animated by TNK

CJ: You know, if I wanted to watch hot girls fighting, I’d go watch women’s wrestling or something.
Rakuen: This is one of those Three Kingdoms heroes as hot girls anime, and it’s the fourth season. I have actually looked at both the anime and manga in the past; you really aren’t missing much here. It’s not much more than your standard ecchi combat fare.
Dave: Lord, is this the Spring season or the Three Kingdoms season? I kid, I kid. Dragon Destiny did mildly interest me though, so I’m not writing this off yet. Not to mention that I’m a college-age male and thus am not immune to the charms (or lack thereof) of fanservice…

Iron Man
starts  in October?, animated by Madhouse and Marvel
(Admin note: Iron Man has allegedly been pushed back to October, but we’re leaving it in this preview just in case.)

CJ: Hmmm. Part of me wants to write this off because I pretty much hate the superhero genre. Part of me wants to embrace this because it’s a fusion of Japanese and American talents. And the last part of me just wants to watch this out of curiosity… Which means I will be trying the first episode.
Crisu: Introducing Tony Stark, the bishie! I watched an anime version of Batman once, and I swear I did not recognize Bruce Wayne until someone said his name, even though he had been on screen and speaking for several minutes. I was like “No way that could be him” … but it was. And so I expect the same in this anime. However— Iron Man gets to exploit the anime laws of energy blasts and flight a lot more than Batman can, so I expect this to be exciting.
Rakuen: Marvel is giving Madhouse the opportunity to animate Iron Man. Apparently, there’ll be a different Marvel character for the next three seasons as well. I would pay out the nose for Deadpool to be in there somewhere. For now, I think Iron Man is cool and I want to see where this project goes.
Raphael: Eh, I’m kinda iffy about this. It could be great, with Madhouse at the helm, but it could also crash and burn. I’ll probably wait to see what the consensus is in the blogosphere before giving this a shot.
Dave: Hey! Finally, I can watch an anime version of one of my favorite c-OH WAIT NO I CAN’T. I’m used to video games getting delays, but anime? Preposterous.

K-ON! season 2
13 episodes?, starts April 6, animated by KyoAni

CJ: Never watched season 1, and probably never will. The music was pretty good, though, so I’m glad a second season is being made. At the very least, I’ll check out the OSTs.
Crisu: Well I already went through the whole first season; might as well keep going. Mio is cute, sure, but she’s rather overdone. Azusa also doesn’t seem to have a very defining personality; she’s just the helpless target of moe-based attacks. I mean at least Mikuru is a time traveler and knows classified information. I kinda want them to play music more … and not just go on a picnic. Bring back a new Lucky Star season if you want simple stuff like that. Much better characters there.
Rakuen: I tried to watch the first season and didn’t get past the first episode. Then again, I’m sure you don’t need my recommendation here anyway. If KyoAni’s announcement didn’t get you pumped, you’re probably not interested.
lvlln: I feel similarly about this show as I do about D.C. ~Da Capo~ Ext. Except the first season of K-ON! was wildly more popular, and by the time it had come out, I had learned to stop watching a show if I hated it. Indeed, I only watched the first 4 episodes of season 1. In any case, given how popular this show was, and how I did mostly enjoy its music, I’ll be giving the second season a shot. Pretty sure I’ll be dropping it quickly, though.
Raphael: So I watched the first series. I enjoyed the first series. The first series made me laugh. But I can’t help but feel like I’m losing my patience with the girls of Hokugou Tea Time. A solid “maybe”.

Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
starts April 1, animated by JC Staff

Crisu: This sounds pretty interesting.  Reminds me briefly of the Railgun episode where the tough-as-nails dorm manager also has a soft romantic side.  Though I’m not sure if the heroine here does the maid cafe because she likes it or because she just needs the money.  It’s a nice contrast, though, and perhaps is a great excuse to slip in moe shots of a tough character — a forced tsundere appearance if you will.  But heck, she might actually be one.  With JC Staff behind the reins on this, I feel it has potential.
Rakuen: A girl tries to lead her school as the class president… but she works at a maid café. Amazingly, this lacks the ecchi tag on MAL, which in some ways gives me hope. I haven’t seen a good romantic comedy since, well, ever. I might try it if I have time.
CJ: This……… I……… This is just. No.

Kiss x Sis
starts in April, animated by Feel

CJ: Do I even NEED to provide caustic commentary for this one? No? Good.
Crisu: Ah, wow. I watched the OVA and admittingly enjoyed it. But an anime was not on my list of expectations. Oh goodness. But I guess I can’t help but check it out. It’ll probably be heavy on the censorship save for the DVD releases. I just find the situation so awkward — two step-sisters wanting to jump you at moment’s notice .. and your parents APPROVE — that I’m very curious as to what crazy situation the writers can come up with next.
Rakuen: It’s kind of refreshing to have a series that is exactly what it says on the tin. Of course, it’s still an ecchi comedy with pseudo-incest in it, but at least it’s honest!
lvlln: I tried to read the manga when it first came out a couple years ago, but I couldn’t. The premise is just too much of an ero-setup to take seriously. So it might have worked if it had actually been hentai, but as an actual anime or manga with no “payoff,” it just isn’t interesting. Not gonna be watching unless some shitstorm breaks out on the internet about this. I don’t think that’s likely.

Mayoi Neko Overrun!
starts in April, animated by AIC

CJ: Screw catgirls, I want more of the cats in Sketchbook ~full color’S~.
Rakuen: Yep, another ecchi comedy involves cats, and this one has a stepsister too! I believe this is the third season in a row with one of these, perhaps it’s become a niche trend again. While I did watch Himari this season, I’m don’t feel even remotely interested in this one.
Dave: For some strange reason I can’t comprehend, I get flashbacks of Bottle Fairy when I read about this. Though, I can’t quite tell which direction this series goes in. They take in catgirls, but then what? My money’s on Michael Vick making a cameo appearance here somewhere.

Ookiku Furikabatte ~Natsu no Taikai-hen~
starts April 1, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: OoFuri (released as Big Windup! in the US) has a bit of a following among girls, and it’s baseball, which I love… But I haven’t watched the first season. Still, maybe I’ll give this a shot if some of the other series I want to watch this season suck.
Rakuen: I don’t really get into sports anime, and as this is the second season, I doubt that I will get into this either. If that’s your thing, by all means go for it.
Dave: Again? All of my female, under-21, baseball-loving friends told me I’d love this (and oddly enough that’s a surprisingly large constituency), but, no. I make an enemy of Japan when I say that baseball is not my favorite sport, and by extension I’m not too thrilled about an anime based around it.

Rainbow – Nisha Rokubo no Shichinin
starts April 6, animated by Madhouse

Rakuen: Another Madhouse show, and I am definitely interested in this series as well. It focuses on delinquents who went through a rough time of reformation and their lives after release. From some of my previous posts, you might know that I love the delinquent characters because they have so much room for growth. I hope someone picks up this series.
CJ: Rakuen’s description makes it clear that this is one of the most original concepts this season. That said, I probably won’t end up watching this, just because I’ll be busy following other series. Doesn’t mean I won’t give it a try, though.
Dave: This one sounds good. Haven’t read the manga but there doesn’t seem to be any mystical overtones, so that’s a plus. It kind of gives me a vibe akin to The Outsiders, only probably much more violent.

Senko no Night Raid
13 episodes?, starts April 5, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: The art was what caught my eye first… And then the concept really got my attention. Since it’s A-1 Pictures, it could be really good, but it could also fall flat. Just because it’s about spies doesn’t automatically mean it’s awesome. I’ll give this a try, but if the lead ends up being an uberawesome James Bond-wannabe Gary Stu, we’re gonna have problems.
Rakuen: This is the original work to replace Sora no Woto in the Anime no Chikara timeslot. The short of it is… spies in China. Now, I am a fan of the TV show Burn Notice, so I have a definite interest in spies. Of course, I imagine this will be more dramatic and less witty, but that’s fine too. In addition, the trailer has a big explosion as an added bonus.
Raphael: I’m looking forward to this. I love spy dramas, and the setting is definitely different to the usual anime fare. It’s also being animated by A-1 Pictures, which I consider to be a leading studio, and is showing in TV Tokyo’s “Power of Anime” timeslot, so I’ll definitely give it a try and may even blog this.
Dave: Now this is something I really like the thought of. I watched the trailer and it really does look neat, plus it’s got that 1930′s espionage thing going for it.

Shin Koihime Musou – Otome Tairan
starts in April, animated by Dogakobo

CJ: Why are they making another one? Can we steal the funds from this and pour it into another season of Darker than Black please?
Crisu: I want to know more about the Three Kingdoms saga in general. And yes this anime is not the best source at all for it, so I totally expected it to go just one season and then disappear into the vault. But nooo~. Maybe I’ll just go play Dynasty Warriors again. Or, yeah yeah I know .. actually read the book. x.x
Rakuen: Speak of the bloody devil, it’s the other Three Kingdoms ecchi series. MAL rates this slightly higher, and it’s only season two, so if something possesses you to watch one or the other, you might want to go with this one.

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru
starts in April, animated by JC Staff

CJ: Are there gonna be joke subs for this one? I’d watch those. The Hanamaru Kindergarten ones were hysterical, this one could be even better!
Rakuen: I’m not interested in shounen ai. However, an empath as a main character at least sounds like a good framework for a story, so if you do like the genre, you might try it.
Dave: I read the description for this one and just kind of made my “wat” face. It seems like there’s some kind of veil of mystery surrounding the plot of this, but I’m just not interested.

Working!
starts April 4, animated by A-1 Pictures

CJ: This looks like fun, but comedy usually isn’t my thing. Still, the art looks pretty nice… I have a heavy bias towards shiny things… Maybe I’ll try this, especially since A-1 Pictures has been on a roll lately.
Rakuen: Okay, this looks somewhat interesting. Undoubtedly, someone has done slice-of-life in a restaurant before, but I missed the boat on that one. This might fulfill my desire for a second comedy this season. If you think about it, all kinds of shenanigans can happen in a kitchen…
Raphael: If it doesn’t rely on moe too much, this could be a lot of fun. One of the strongest voice casts this season + a good studio = potential blog for me. I’m definitely going to look at the first episode.

Yojo-han Shinwa Taikei
starts in April, animated by Madhouse

CJ: A series about a guy’s college life… I could glean some tips from this. Especially since I’ll be pretty young for a freshman. ;_; Anyway, this looks like it could be either really good or really boring, but I might as well try it.
Rakuen: Another Madhouse show! This one comes out of the brain that gave us Kaiba, but it doesn’t look like it will be a mindscrew. Instead, it’s about a guy looking back on his college life. Just from the animation style, I can tell this is not for everyone, but at least try to look past it and give it a chance.
Raphael: Great director, and it’s part of the noitaminA timeslot, but I really have no idea how this will turn out. I’ll probably watch the first episode and end up making a snap decision within the first 10 minutes.

Yutori-chan
starts March 16, animated by Actas

Crisu: Pastel colors! Too cute! Will it be enjoyable? ^_^
CJ: The feminist in me is puking violently at the sight of those pastels… and that hair… Well, moe in general makes her puke, but that’s not the point. Enjoy this one, Crisu; I’ll be over here rereading Fullmetal Alchemist to bleach my eyes…
Rakuen: A high school girl gets a job at a toy factory. The episodes are two minutes long and distributed by e-mail. It also looks like it actually started in the winter season, and no one noticed it. I hope you aren’t too heart-broken by the loss.
Raphael: I actually like the art of this. If it’s sweet and fanservice-free, I’ll check it out. But yeah, once again I am enlisting others to do the dirty work for me. :P