Well, folks, the last episodes of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and Lucky Star have just aired in Japan, drawing the spring anime season to the beginning of a true close. Fortunately they lead into a DESPAIR!-licious summer, but will fall live up to expectations? Here's hoping!
So, welcome to the third and final installment of our fall season preview, featuring�@Night Wizard through Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji. In case you need to go back through the entire rundown, here are links to part one and part two. And don't forget to share your current official "To Watch" list when you're done!
Also, while I have a moment to plug myself-- later on this evening I'll be posting a schedule card-type bonus feature on my blog at giapet.net, so if you want to print it out for an easy reference or just don't want to read through the full-length deal, check it out.
Without further ado: on with the anime!
Title: Night Wizard The Animation (ナイトウィザード The ANIMATION) Studio: HAL Film Maker Genre: Fantasy Airs: Tokyo MX TV, Tuesdays at 2am, starting October 2nd. Website: http://www.nightwizard.jp
Summary: "When the red moon rises to heaven, our common sense will crumble away and reality will become nothing." In this parallel world, people with magical abilities (the wizards) fight the Emulators, shapeless invaders that possess living creatures and absorb their life force. And they do it all while keeping their existence a secret from the rest of the world.
Notable:
Here's another anime based on something a bit unusual-- an RPG. Not a video game RPG, though; a tabletop RPG.
Naoki Yanagi will play male lead Renji Hiiragi, which may seem like an odd choice given his past role as the wacky Gora in Innocent Venus, but he also played Manabu Yuuki in Galaxy Railways.
Title: Prism Ark (プリズム・アーク) Studio: Frontline Genre: Fantasy Airs: Chiba TV, Sundays at 12:30am, starting October 7th. Website: http://www.p-ark.tv
Summary: Life isn't easy at the Rosenberg Knight Training Academy, where Pricia and Halwe attend school. Pricia is said to be the daughter of the late king; as such, she's a bit bereft of friends…but only until the day she bumps into the cheerful, if sometimes a bit dim, Halwe. Soon a whole cast of companions appears, but how will these students deal with the religious war that plagues the rest of the nation?
Notable:
Seiyuu and Akihabara performer Halko Momoi will play Filia, a student who favors a waitress outfit. She will also perform the show's ending theme.
Meanwhile, relative newcomer Yui Sakakibara-- who played Haruhi in Happiness!--will play Pricia and perform the opening theme.
Both theme songs will be composed by Chiyomaru Shikura, who has composed music for Umisho, Happiness!, and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, among others.
Summary: Itsuki Iba is a wuss. Nonetheless, at his father's disappearance he's forced to take over the family business: a magician dispatch service. Basically, if you have a magical problem, you call them and they'll send a magic-user to help you. Now an unaccustomed company president, Itsuki has to learn to work together with the magic users in his employ…which may be easier said than done.
Notable:
The light novel series that this anime is based on is printed in Kadokawa Shoten's The Sneaker, the top-tier light novel magazine that serializes The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Mushi-Uta, and Trinity Blood. The novels also won the best action award in the 2007 Light Novel Awards.
Itsuki will be played by Jun Fukuyama, who plays the exact opposite of Itsuki in Code Geass-- the confident, elegant, and slightly psychotic Lelouch Lamperouge. (You may also know him as xxxHOLiC's Watanuki or Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu's Issei Tsubaki.)
Title: Shakugan no Shana II (灼眼のシャナII) Studio: J.C. Staff Genre: Fantasy Airs: MBS, Thursdays at 1:30am, starting October 4th. Website: http://www.shakugan.com
Summary: The adventures of Yuji Sakai, who should be dead, and the girl he calls Shana, who fights to protect humans from the basically soul-sucking creatures known as Denizens, continue in this sequel. I predict that Yuji will piss off tsundere Shana a few dozen times, but that they will work together to fight off whatever causes trouble, and that their budding romantic relationship will continue to bloom…mostly.
Notable:
Rie Kugimiya completes her 2007 tsundere trifecta playing Shana (she played heiress Nagi in Combat Butler Hayate starting in spring, and reiterated her role as would-be wizard Louise in Zero no Tsukaima II this summer).
Director Takashi Watanabe also continues a streak: he's directed all of the Shana works so far (one movie, two TV series, and a special OVA).
Shakugan no Shana is based on a series of light novels by Yashichiro Takahashi and illustrated by Noizi Ito-- who also illustrates the Haruhi Suzumiya novels.
Title: Shinrei Kari / GHOST HOUND (神霊狩/GHOST HOUND) Studio: Production I.G Genre: Supernatural Airs: WOWOW Scramble, Thursdays at 11:30pm, starting October 18th. Website: http://www.ghosthound.tv
Summary: The world we live in-- the Apparent World --has had a twin, a parallel world, since long before the digital age we know of. Our ancient ancestors called it the "Unseen World." Three children living in a small town in northern Kyushu experienced an inerasable childhood trauma that gave them the ability to travel to the Unseen World. Previously, happenings in the Unseen World never affected our world…but things are starting to change. Will Taro, Makoto, and Masayuki be able to prevent the Unseen World's changes from extending into the Apparent World?
Notable:
Production I.G is creating this series to celebrate their 20th anniversary, and they've given it the best pedigree they can: the show is a collaboration with Shirow Masamune, of Ghost in the Shell, Appleseed, and Dominion: Tank Police fame.
Masamune may be the biggest name attached, but the rest of the staff is pretty impressive, too: director Ryutaro Nakamura and scriptwriter Chiaki J. Konaka created Serial Experiments Lain, character designer Mariko Oka designed characters for Hell Girl, and art director Hiromasa Oguro also worked on the second Patlabor movie and Jin-Roh.
Title: Shion no Oh (しおんの王) Studio: Studio Deen Genre: Mystery Airs: Fuji TV, Saturdays, Time TBA, starting October 13th. Website: http://www.shion-oh.com
Summary: Those of you who watched Hikaru no Go and learned to play Go, it's time to move on to the next challenge: Shion no Oh is a series about shougi, a variant of chess that is somewhat popular in Japan to this day. Protagonist Shion Yasuoka's parents were murdered when she was a small child, and the only clue left behind was a shougi piece-- the King. Since then, Shion has played shougi and has now entered the world of professional female shougi players, hoping to solve the mystery of her parents' murder.
Notable:
The obsessive female lead, Shion, will be played by Ayako Kawasumi, who is keeping busy this season with roles in Genshiken 2, Mokke, and Shakugan no Shana.
The anime is based on a manga written by Masaru Kotori, which is a pen name for the author Naoko Hayashiba-- writer of Dondemo Police and Kiss Dakejya Iya.
This drama is a step away from the norm for director Toshifumi Kawase, who directed Tenjho Tenge and a number of classic mech series, like Gosaurer and Energy Bomb Ganbaruger.
Title: Shugo Chara! (しゅごキャラ!) Studio: Satellite Genre: Magical Girl Airs: TV Tokyo, Saturdays at 9:30am, starting October 6th. Website: http://shugo-chara.com
Summary: Could this be the only mahou shoujo series of the season? Shugo Chara! follows Amu, a cute young girl whose mother is a famous fashion designer who dresses her in awesome punk-y attire. The clothing combined with Amu's reticence leads her classmates to believe that she's actually somewhat punk-- but in reality, she's just shy. Amu wishes to be herself, but just who is her 'self' anyway? Cue the entrance of three unusual eggs, each containing a Guardian Character who assists Amu in her soul-search…when she's not made to fight the Easter Company, who is seeking a particular egg-- and destroying people's dreams while they're at it.
Notable:
Shugo Chara! is based on a manga by the duo PEACH-PIT, who created fan favorites DearS and Rozen Maiden. In spite of the sudden ending of the Rozen Maiden manga, PEACH-PIT has had a banner year-- their manga Zombie Loan was just made into an anime this summer, and now Shugo Chara! too. Del Rey has released two volumes of the manga if you want a sneak peek.
Amu will be played by a completely fresh face to the seiyuu world: Kanae Itou, whose only other role to date was "Prize-winning Girl" in the anime Bakegyamon.
Buono!, a new jpop girl group featuring Momoko (of the group Berryz Koubou), Miyabi (also of Berryz), and Airi (from ºC-ute), will debut with the opening theme for Shugo Chara!.
Title: Sketchbook ~full color's~ (スケッチブック ~full color's~) Studio: HAL Film Maker Genre: Slice of Life Airs: TV Tokyo, Mondays at 2am, starting October 1st. Website: http://www.sketch-full.net
Summary: This slice-of-life comedy features the blunt Sora Kajiwara, whose favorite thing is to go on a walk with her cat and sketchbook. A first year in high school, she accidentally stumbles into the art room, where she meets a fun batch of older students. Before long she starts making friends and spending time with her senpai-tachi.
Notable:
The series is based on the 4koma comic strip manga by Totan Kobako, published in Comib Blade Masamune.
Director Yoshimasa Hiraike has a good bit of range: he directed action drama Solty Rei, romantic comedy Kaleido Star, and even episodes of the super-cute Tiny Snow Fairy Sugar.
Title: Suteki Tantei Labyrinth (素敵探偵ラビリンス) Studio: Studio Deen Genre: Mystery Airs: TV Tokyo, Tuesdays at 1:30am, starting October 2nd. Website: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/labyrins
Summary: In the forgotten city of Kyuuto Tokyo, there lives a young detective named Mayuki Hyuuga. And when I say young, I mean young: the kid's 11 years old. Along with his maid Hatsumi Mieno and his butler Seiran Shinano, Mayuki handles mysteries with a miraculous intelligence-- and "Excellent Detective Labyrinth" is always looking for a new case to solve.
Notable:
As is common with young male characters, Mayuki will be played by a female seiyuu: Miyuki Sawashiro, best known for Digi Charat's Puchiko, Galaxy Angel's Mint, and Rozen Maiden's Shinku.
The opening theme song, "Monochrome," will be performed by Jrockers kannivalism.
Director Hiroshi Watanabe most recently worked on Shining Tears X Wind and Law of Ueki, but he made his career directing pretty much all of the Slayers movies.
Title: Taiho Shichauzo Full Throttle (逮捕しちゃうぞ フルスロットル) Studio: Studio Deen Genre: Comedy Airs: TBS, Thursdays at 1:30am, starting October 4th. Website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/taiho
Summary: Laid-back and brash Natsumi Tsujimoto and polite technical genius Miyuki Kobayakawa are partners in the Tokyo Police Department.Presumably the series will pick up where season 2 let off-- back in 2001 (and you thought waiting two years for Haruhi season 2 was rough?). No information has been offered as to the new story line, but you can bet that there will be criminals and that Natsumi and Miyuki will come up with some unique ways to find and catch them.
Notable:
Sakiko Tamagawa and Akiko Hiramatsu return yet again as Natsumi and Miyuki, respectively. They've been playing the roles since the first anime adaptation, a 1994 OVA.
The series may sound familiar, but it's not going to look like it used to. Shigemi Ikeda is taking over as art director, and he's worked on any number of series with distinct visuals, such as Bartender, Bokurano, InuYasha, and Gantz.
Need I remind you that Taiho Shichauzo, a.k.a. You're Under Arrest, is based on a manga by Kosuke Fujishima, creator of Ah! My Goddess?
Title: Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji (賭博黙示録カイジ) Studio: Madhouse Genre: Drama Airs: NTV, Tuesdays at 1am, starting October 2nd. Website: http://www.ntv.co.jp/kaiji
Summary: Not unlike his predecessor Akagi, Kaiji is an obsessive gambler. Throughout the series we'll be seeing more than mere mahjong or other traditional gambling games-- Kaiji will bet on anything, and new gambles and gambling games were developed by creator Nobuyuki Fukumoto for the manga the show is based on. The focus of the show, however, is the psychology behind gambling-- and gambling addiction.
Notable:
Although the title literally means "Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji," the English name given on the official website is "Ultimate Survivor Kaiji."
Kaiji is based on the award-winning manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, who also created the mahjong manga Akagi. The Kaiji anime will also feature the same staff as the Akagi anime adaptation.
To follow my own recommendation...here's my current list of series to at least check out: Bamboo Blade, Blue Drop, Dragonaut, Genshiken 2, Goshuushou-sama Ninomiya-kun, Jyuushin Enbu, Kidou Senshi Gundam 00, KimiKiss, Kodomo no Jikan (duh!), Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, Minamike, Moyashimon, Night Wizard, Prism Ark, Rental Magika, Shinrei Kari / Ghost Hound, Shion no Oh, Shugo Chara!, Sketchbook ~full color’s~, and Suteki Tantei Labyrinth.
There goes all my free time; which i had none to begin with. As I stated in podtoid-san, I'm really looking forward to Ultimate Survivor Kaiji, ghost hound, and night wizard. However, if given a good review, I'll watch anything.
Finally some serious stuff from Chiaki. That guy is a genius. The story sounds perhaps too much like Serial Experiment Lain. Will be looking forward to that title.
The final two episodes of Gurren Lagann are going to be pure insanity. CAn't really see how they're going to finish it in that small time but sitll, I'm almost peeing my pants in anticipation.
Oh gosh... Shugo Chara! Del Rey & AMN has me down to review the manga series (two released right now)... so far it is very over done... It may make a good anime IF the screen isn't as cluttered as the manga is XD
Anyways, Shakugan no Shana = Awesome and Ghost Hound actually sounds interesting. Decent Fall line up =)
Melancholy
of Suzumiya Haruhi
