It's now firmly the middle of September, and autumn is upon us. Now that we're all settled back into school or work, it's time to focus once more on the important things in life: the next anime season.
Fall will see mostly comedies like Bamboo Blade and Moyashimon. Not unlike the American entertainment world, it will see a few sequels-- D.C.II, Genshiken 2, Shakugan no Shana II, and the return of Taiho Shichauzo (also known as You're Under Arrest). Adaptations of games and visual novels run rampant as usual, with Kyoto Animation's Clannad leading the pack and KimiKiss and ef - a tale of memories not far behind. There are only a few action/drama types this season, but one of them is by Fullmetal Alchemist creator Hiromu Arakawa-- Jyuushin Enbu, also known as Hero Tales. Not to mention, of course, the newest Gundam franchise: Kidou Senshi Gundam 00.
So, let's get this show on the road! Part I includes Bamboo Blade through Jyuushin Enbu. Want more? Stay tuned tomorrow for part two, Kidou Senshi Gundam 00 through Myself;Yourself, and Sunday for part III, a.k.a. "the rest of 'em." (Okay, it's Night Wizard through Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji.)
Title: Bamboo Blade (バンブーブレード) Studio: AIC Genre: Comedy Airs: TV Tokyo, Mondays at 1:30am, starting October 1st. Website:http://www.bambooblade.jp/
Summary: MuroeHigh School's broke kendo teacher Ishida-sensei is determined to win himself a year's worth of free meals. This task involves sending a winning team against Ishida's former classmate's all-female kendo team, which would be no big deal…except that Ishida has to start from scratch. Will he be able to find five girls to make the dream team he desperately needs?
Notable:
Fans of Blood+ will happily note that Ishida is being played by Katsuyuki Konishi, also known as the strong but largely silent Hagi. Konishi also plays Komui Lee in D.Gray-Man and-- dun da DUN! --Kamina in Gurren Lagann. Bring on the GAR!
Bamboo Blade is director Hisashi Saito's first time as head honcho, though he has worked in key animation on Bleach and Utena, among others.
Title: Blue Drop ~Tenchi-tachi no Gikyoku~ (BLUE DROP ~天使達の戯曲~) Studio: BeStack/Asahi Production Genre: Mech, Drama Airs: MieTV, Mondays at , starting October 1st. Website:http://blue-drop.jp
Summary: It's a sci-fi yuri mech drama. What more do you need to know? …Okay, you got me, not much is known about the plot. This is largely due to the fact that the original manga, Blue Drop ~Tenshi no Bokura~, is a series of one-shots. Since the name is different it's currently unclear whether the anime will be the same set of shorts or whether it will contain a new, full-length plot in the same universe.
Notable:
If Blue Drop looks at all familiar, it's because the original mangaka Akihito Yoshitomi also created the well-known Eat-Man as well as Ray.
The mechs have a pretty nice pedigree: designer Atsushi Takeuchi also did mech design for Appleseed, End of Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, and is even working on the upcoming Mamoru Oshii flick Sky Crawlers.
Title: Clannad (CLANNAD -クラナド-) Studio: Kyoto Animation Genre: Romance Airs: TBS, Thursdays at , starting October 4th. Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/clannad
Summary: Yet another Key visual novel turned anime, Clannad will no doubt continue in the tradition of its forebears, Kanon and Air. The show follows delinquent male student Tomoya (not to be confused with the delinquent female student Tomoyo, who is also one of Tomoya's potential love interests), who has a distant relationship with his alcoholic father-- not to mention bleak dreams in which he and a mysterious girl are the only people in existence. In his waking moments, Tomoya spends time with his harem: Nagisa, Kyou, Kotomi, Tomoyo, and Fuko.
Notable:
Unlike many of Key's works, the Clannad visual novel was released for all-ages. Fans' response? Disappointment. An adult follow-up based on one of the scenarios called Tomoyo After: It's a Wonderful Life was released shortly thereafter.
Don't let yourself get too confused, but Kyoto Animation's Clannad TV series is NOT the same thing as the anime movie that Toei created and released in September.
Like many of Key's works, anime isn't the only medium Clannad has seen. Fourteen illustrated short stories set in the same world appeared in Dengeki G's magazine in 2004 and 2005, plus two different manga adaptations and two sets of drama CDs.
Title: D.C. II ~ Da Capo II ~ (D.C.II ~ダ・カーポII~) Studio: feel Genre: Romance Airs: SanTV, Mondays at , starting October 1st. Website:http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/dc2
Summary: Well, this is another anime based on an eroge, so the basic plot is one dude, many girls. Beyond that, though, D.C.II is a bit…different. The drama of the original Da Capo revolved around a magical tree that granted wishes. The tree eventually died, but apparently in D.C.II an artificial wish-giving tree has been constructed, and it's thanks to that tree that male protagonist Yoshiyuki exists-- he was the result of a wish made by Da Capo protagonist Sakura. Unfortunately, the artificial tree starts malfunctioning, and the locals wind up in a tizzy over what to do.
Notable:
D.C.II is not to be confused with D.C.S.S. (Da Capo Second Season). D.C.S.S. is set two years after the events of the original Da Capo, and D.C.II is set 51 years after D.C.S.S. (or 53 years after Da Capo).
Director Hideko Okamoto has plenty of experience in the lovey-dovey genre: he also worked on Ai Yori Aoshi and Nagasarete Airantou. I'd point out that he also worked on a couple of fangirl faves-- Gundam Wing and Descendents of Darkness --but I doubt D.C.II will share much in the way of slashiness.
Title: Dragonaut: The Resonance (ドラゴノーツ -ザ・レゾナンス-) Studio: Gonzo Genre: Mech Airs: TV Tokyo, Wednesdays at , starting October 3rd. Website: http://www.dragonaut.com
Summary: In the near future, humans are in the midst of an unprecedented war for space against dragon-like creatures called Thanatos. Fortunately, the ISDA-- the International Space Development Agency --has a secret project that may turn the tide of battle: the Dragonaut. Our lead characters, orphaned Jin and mysterious Toa, are presumably the pilots in this mech drama.
Notable:
If the Dragonaut art style (and fanservice) looks a bit familiar, it's probably because of character designer Makoto Uno-- who also designed the luscious ladies of Witchblade.
Haruhi fans take note: Minori Chihara, who played everyone's favorite alien robot Yuki, will perform the role of the slightly more playful Toa.
Title: ef - a tale of memories Studio: Shaft Genre: Romance Airs: Chiba TV, Saturdays at , starting October 6th. Website: http://www.ef-memo.com
Summary: Impoverished shoujo manga-ka wannabe Hiro Hirono runs into some bad luck on Christmas night: a girl steals his bike. Hiro gives chase only to find the girl collapsed on the street. In the end, he and the girl, Miyako Miyamura, become good friends…but what will happen to Hiro's childhood friend, Kei Shindou? If you foresee a love triangle, think again: the website offers up at least two more girls and, amazingly for the eroge-turned-anime genre, three other male characters.
Notable:
Expect some fantastic music to come out of this series: composer Tenmon has also produced music for Byousoku 5 Centimeter and three of mostly one-man-show Makoto Shinkai's works: She and Her Cat,Voices of a Distant Star, and The Place Promised in our Early Days.
Based on an original game by game-maker minori, the show also boasts character designer Naru Nanao, who is more than a little experienced with turning visual novel characters into anime stars-- other credits include Da Capo and sola.
Title: Genshiken 2 (げんしけん2) Studio: ARMS Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life Airs: Chiba TV, Tuesdays at , starting October 9th. Website:http://www.genshiken.info
Summary: The Genshiken OVA saw the arrival of new characters, including Sasahara's trendy sister and the bitter fujoshi-in-denial Ogiue, and the departure (or semi-departure) of others. The TV series will presumably pick up where the OVAs left off. So what's in the future of our favorite college club for otaku? Think foreign fangirls, a remarkable amount of romance, and of course, more visits to "ComiFes."
Notable:
Yet another director joins the Genshiken world: Takashi Ikehata did the original TV series and Tsutomu Mizushima took on the three OVA episodes, but Kinji Yoshimoto-- whose resume leans just a bit to the ecchi side, with titles like Night Shift Nurses: Experiment and Plastic Little to his credit --will take over for the new TV series. The rest of the staff is mostly the same, however.
The original cast is all returning as well, but they've kept busy. Ayako Kawasumi, who plays buxom cosplayer Ohno, played the titular Nodame of Nodame Cantabile, while geeky Madarame's seiyuu Nobuyuki Hiyama played another Madarame: Ikkaku Madarame, in Bleach: The Diamond Dust Rebellion, to be specific.
Title: Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun (ご愁傷さま二ノ宮くん) Studio: AIC Spirits Genre: Romantic Comedy Airs: TVQ, Wednesdays at , starting October 3rd. Website:http://pc.webnt.jp/ninomiya
Summary: The title roughly translates to "My Condolences, Ninomiya-kun," and the series follows poor Shungo Ninomiya who lives all alone in a giant house while his family, including his sexy older sister Ryoko, meanders about the globe doing whatever they feel like. But that's nothing compared to Mayu Tsukimura's problem: she's completely phobic of men! So naturally Ryoko sends Mayu and her sister Mikihiro to live with Shungo, commanding that Shungo share everything with Mayu-- from his bedroom to his bathtime! On top of that, wealthy heiress / student council president Reika Hojo moves in to be Shungo's maid. Wait, why does this guy need condolences?
Notable:
Mayu's seiyuu, Mai Kadokawaki, is pulling double-duty-- she's also playing the physically developed but emotionally shy Mimi in Kodomo no Jikan. You may also remember her as Illya in Fate/Stay Night or Satomi in Negima!?.
Director Koji Yoshikawa isn't unfamiliar with being ecchi-- he directed the hentai OVA Nightmare Campus.
The anime is based on a light novel series by Daisuke Suzuki, who also did 3D and CG work for Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala. Wait, wtf?
Title: Hidamari Sketch Tokubetsuhen (ひだまりスケッチ特別編) Studio: Shaft Genre: Slice of Life Airs: BS-i, Thursdays at , starting October 18th. Website:http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari
Summary: Ahh, the loliest of the loli (well, except for Ichigo Marshmallow and KoJikan, I guess). Hidamari Sketch is a slice-of-life comedy about Yuno, a girl who gets accepted into her top-choice high school (yes, high school, seriously) and moves into an apartment by herself to be able to attend. This special compilation presumably will consist of more cute stories about Yuno and her friends Miyako, Hiro, and Sae, probably based on Internet radio dramas. Word also has it that a pool may be involved. Swimsuit edition.
Notable:
Hi-Hi-Hi-Hiro Hi-Hi-ro-run-run! Yes, Hiro is voiced by Yuko Gotoh, a.k.a. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Mikuru.
Keep an eye out for nice visuals: this special's animation director is Yoshiaki Ito, who created the hit summer series Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei.
Title: Ichigo Ichie Koibana Tomobana (一期一会 恋バナ友バナ) Studio: TBA Genre: Slice of Life Airs: Kids Station, Saturdays at , starting October 20th. Website:http://www.mindwave.co.jp/ichigoichie_anime
Summary: Not much is known about this anime, which was announced at close to the last minute. It's based on a series of stationary and looks like it will be a series of 13 5-minute shorts following the adventures of a a group of five friends, three girls and two boys.
Notable:
"Ichigo Ichie" literally means "one time, one meeting," and is often translated as "one chance in a lifetime." "Koibana Tomobana" means "Love Story, Friendship Story," by the way.
On a very random note, "Ichigo Ichie" was used as the sub-title when Forrest Gump was released in Japan. Oh, Google, the things you know.
Title: Jyuushin Enbu (獣神演武) Studio: Studio Flag Genre: Action Airs: TV Tokyo, Sundays at , starting October 7th. Website:http://www.jyushin.jp
Summary: Many fans are excited at this new anime based on Fullmetal Alchemist mangaka Hiromu Arakawa's period manga, which started as a doujinshi and turned into a very different story for the Square Enix manga. It tells the tale of a hot-headed young man with incredible powers and a hate-on for the local government who has to go on a journey with his younger sibling to get back something he lost. Sound familiar? In this case, the man is Taitou, who discovers that he's the incarnation of a star, the government is the Empire, the sibling is younger sister Laila, and the lost item is a mysterious sword.
Notable:
Taito will be played by a seiyuu with a mile-long resume: Kenichi Suzumura, probably most recognizable as Gundam Seed's Shinn Asuka and X's Kamui (and, I can't help but note, also starred as Yamada in the popular yaoi Sensitive Pornograph).
Although the show has similarities to FMA, don't expect a mere clone: a different studio is in place (Flag instead of Bones) and director Osamu Sekita-- whose credits range wide, with the hentai Tales of Seduction, plus Princess Tutu and various Gundam series under his belt --is taking the helm.
But prepare for an awesome soundtrack anyway: BEAT CRUSADERS, who have done themes for Beck and Bleach, will be performing the opening. Songstress Mai Hoshimura, who also did work on Bleach as well as Yakitate!! Japan will sing the ending.
I think i can add another two mecha shows to my lineup. Also Bamboo Blade and Jyuushin Enbu looks like winners as well.
super sweet write-up Gia!
Excellent write-up! Unfortunately, aside from Genshiken, nothing sounds very outstanding in this group. The last couple of seasons have been mostly pretty dull—I could use a really good season. I guess I'll have to take up an interest in hentai…
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