Title: Bamboo Blade (バンブーブレード)
Studio: AIC
Genre: Comedy
Airs: TV Tokyo, Mondays at 1:30am, starting October 1^st.
Website: http://www.bambooblade.jp/

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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?

• "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.

• 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.