Jormungand: Perfect Order - Preview

To be honest, the first season of Jormungand was underwhelming. Going in, I expected mindless bloodshed, guns galore, and diabolical annihilation each and every episode; a show that you can just sit back and enjoy. And while there were a few episodes that did give me that, it wasn't as much as I had expected. That being said, it was still an enjoyable twelve episodes for the most part. With character introductions and backstories having been dealt with already in season one, I hope Jormungand: Perfect Order will focus more on the story now. Either that, or more action-packed missions would be fine with me.

Zetsuen no Tempest - Preview

An interesting synopsis is all it takes for me to consider watching an anime. While good artwork, talented seiyū, and amount of hype also factor into my decision, the three together still fail to outweigh the importance of the synopsis. And with Zetsuen no Tempest, I find the premise to sound really interesting. A mystery-based story filled with action and psychological drama is what I'm expecting from this show, and I really hope it doesn't disappoint. The trio of Hanazawa Kana, Sawashiro Miyuki, and Mizuki Nana, which I greatly approve of, are sure to have many seiyū fanatics hooked already. I'm going to go ahead and predict that this will be one of the better shows this season simply because shows of its genres usually bode well with the general audience. Now, let's hope the first episode lives up to my expectations.

Shin Sekai Yori - Preview

Note: My season picks will be posted at the start of the new quarter (i.e. October 1st). Right now, I'll say that the season looks promising with a lot of shows that I'm planning to watch.

For me, a little dose of sci-fi is always welcome each season. Whether it's a thrilling show that will keep me at the edge of my seat or a comedy that will keep me laughing, it's interesting to see what storywriters can create when it comes to ideas regarding a world state that has yet to arrive. As for Shin Sekai Yori, the first thing the synopsis tells me is that this might be a very psychologically-focused anime, simply because psychics appear to be an important part of the story. Also, SSY seems like it will be yet another "post-humanity" story so let's see if it will be able to distinguish itself from the others of its type.

Looking at the cast of characters, romance may also come into play during the series, which will definitely be a plus for me. Given that it's planned to be 25 episodes, character (and relationship) development should be able to progress at a decent and non-rushed pace. The designs of the characters look quite nice too.

As the first series that's airing in the Fall 2012 season, I hope that Shin Sekai Yori will provide a rough idea of the upcoming season's quality.

Sword Art Online - Preview

It's undeniable that Sword Art Online (or SAO), is one of the most anticipated series of the Summer 2012 season. Combining the elements of both anime and MMORPGs, this series is sure to draw fans from all over the anime community. With a good mix of action and romance, while being set in a fantasy world, SAO will be able to appeal to a broader range of audiences than most anime can. Although I haven't read the light novel, which I heard is pretty good, I'm expecting great things from SAO. I remember actively playing MMOs several years ago so the premise does bring back some good memories. Hopefully, it won't turn into another disappointing, virtual world-based shōnen like Accel World.

TARI TARI - Preview

Slice-of-life has always been one of my preferred anime genres. A lot of my favourite shows have had some element of slice-of-life in them, whether it's just there to fill up some gaps in the story or as a main genre. Like Hanasaku Iroha (also by P.A. Works), TARI TARI also focuses on the daily lives of a group of adolescents who are brought together by a common medium—a job at an inn in Hanasaku Iroha and music in TARI TARI. What I like about the latter medium is that it's easier for me to relate to; I've never been to a Japanese-style inn before, let alone worked in one, but I am exposed to different kinds of music every day. Thus, I have more confidence in my ability to get immersed into the story, effectively decreasing the chances of me dropping this on the blog like I did with Hanasaku Iroha. Lastly, the characters look more appealing in TARI TARI so that's a nice bonus, too.

AKB0048 - Preview

Blogger's Note: I'm editing this for EveTaku so be sure to come check out our subs!

AKB0048 is the last show of the season, and also my most anticipated. After being blown away by how good THE iDOL@MSTER was, it was difficult to find something to fill the big void that it left. Luckily, the announcement of AKB came along and I was overjoyed. What I expect from this series is music, and lots of it, given that the insert songs used will most likely be already-released AKB48 songs. Currently, I have zero knowledge about anything AKB-related, but I'm sure that, once the series reaches its conclusion, I'll know a lot more about the idol group that is arguably the most popular in Japan. Music aside, the premise of the plot also seems interesting. It's different from shows like K-ON! and iM@S in the sense that plot is seemingly solid and distinguishable (although that doesn't mean "no/weak plot" is bad; I gave both K-ON! and iM@S a 10/10). Whether it ends up being like the other two is left to be seen. Even though a show of this genre won't be well-accepted within the general anime community, I will definitely be sticking with it.

Hyouka - Preview

All right, it's KyoAni time! Seeing as how they're the ones that produced K-ON!, one of my favorite series of all time, I have high hopes for Hyouka in terms of artwork and character design. The synopsis seems quite interesting as well, giving off a "slice-of-life with a bit of mystery" vibe. To be honest, I'm not too concerned about the quality of the plot itself; as long as it's interesting enough to keep me entertained and allow me to focus on the moe girls, I'll be satisfied. If the story does end up being very good, then all the better. Hyouka was also one of the first series I had considered watching while looking through this season's anime so I really hope it doesn't disappoint.

Sakamichi no Apollon - Preview

Apparently, Sakamichi no Apollon (shortened to SnA) is one of the few hyped-up series of the season. With the director and music composer being none other than Watanabe Shinichirō and Kanno Yōko, respectively, of Cowboy Bebop fame, fans everywhere have been itching to watch this series for quite a while now. Personally, I haven't watched Cowbow Bebop nor am a big fan of jazz music, which is one of the main elements of the story. However, I couldn't resist picking this up due to all the hype it's getting. From the synopsis, it seems like it's going to be a mellow slice-of-life with jazz music as its defining characteristic. I'll be going into the first episode without any expectations and hopefully, given the lack of good anime this season, SnA will not fail to impress.

Jormungand - Preview

I'll be honest here, I decided to watch Jormungand partially because Itō Shizuka (Katsura Hinagiku from Hayate no Gotoku!, Morishima Haruka from Amagami SS, Mishima Nana from Area no Kishi, etc.) is voicing the main character. But other than that, the synopsis does sound interesting. Immersing oneself into the world of smuggling and illegal trading is generally not a good idea. Being able to catch a glimpse of what it's like, although probably simplified and not accurate, is in ways informative. While the anime is primarily for entertainment's sake, the knowledge one can gain about the arms industry can potentially be valuable (depending on the accuracy of the information, that is). Nonetheless, I'm hoping Jormungand will provide me with an interesting insight on Japan's view on the trading of military arms.

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia - Preview

First it was Sankarea, and now it's Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (shortened to TOxA). Both involve a romantic relationship between a human and supernatural being, with the former series showcasing a zombie while the latter features a ghost. While Sankarea is more light-hearted and comedic, TOxA seems to take the "darker" path; that is, serious and deep mysteries are the central focus of the show. Last season's Another sparked my interest in horror and mystery anime. I believe a good mystery is one which is not too obvious to solve, but also not too unrealistic (i.e. random plot twists that don't make sense). I hope that TOxA will be able to live up to its genres of horror, mystery, and romance.

Accel World - Preview

For the first time ever, the protagonist of a show I plan to watch is a short fat kid who is most likely an outcast of society. Amusingly enough, I think I'll be able to relate to him as I was more or less like that (not as lame, or fat, as him, though) a few years back. Anyways, Accel World (shortened to AW) is one of the more hyped-up shows of the season. It looks like it'll be filled with shōnen-type battle scenes with the story set some time in the future. The presence of a potential "character of the season candidate" in Kuroyukihime will undoubtedly draw in some viewers (similar to Sanka Rea from Sankarea). For me, the premise of virtual reality is what drew me in. After the huge disappointment that was Guilty Crown two seasons ago (a series which was also slated to be one of the best of its season), let's just hope AW does not meet a similar fate.

Sankarea - Preview

Having arguably one of the weirdest plots of the season, Sankarea is a show that has the potential to be quite interesting due to its originality (well, I haven't seen anything like it before). Normally, when one thinks of zombies, images of grotesque, lethargic animated corpses come to mind. But when a decent-looking girl wishes to die and become reborn as one of them, that's where things diverge from your typical zombie flick. I enter the show with no expectations (frankly, I don't know what to expect), so let's see if Sankarea can impress me.

ZETMAN - Preview

Gore, more gore, and even more gore. That is exactly what I'm expecting from ZETMAN. The character designs look interesting so that's a plus. While the premise of two rivals working towards a common goal can make for a decent story, I doubt that is what people watching ZETMAN are looking for. Since I'm not a big fan of bloodshed myself, I still question why I decided to watch this show. Nonetheless, I'll give it a few episodes to see whether I can take the gore and whether the episodes have enough content to actually write a review on.

Highschool of the Dead - Preview

Back when Highschool of the Dead (shortened to HotD) was airing, I had thoughts about watching it. It isn't until now that I've decided to do so. I've read the manga already (which is apparently stalled at Chapter 30, unless it's just not scanlated by anyone) so I more or less know the story. What'll be interesting to see is if 12 episodes are going to be able to cover all the currently scanlated chapters and, if they are, how will the lack of source material be dealt with (assuming the adaption is faithful). Zombies and survival against all odds have never really been my preferred genres of entertainment when it came to anime, but I'm willing to give HotD a try given its massive popularity. Time to jump on the bandwagon and enjoy the ride.

Inu x Boku SS - Preview

Originally, I wasn't planning on watching Inu x Boku SS (shortened to IxB), but after an unexpected turn of events, I decided to change my mind. Just recently, I have read the first 10 chapters of the manga and I have to say that I'm quite interested in seeing its anime adaption. Even though there were some typical shōjo moments, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the characters. This is also going to be the first anime in which I have read the manga prior to watching it, so it'll be a new experience for me. I hope the adaption will be able to follow the manga well, and that the all-star seiyū cast will be able to bring the characters to life.

Another - Preview

Horror has never really been my thing; I get scared easily by anything supernatural, grotesque or gory. But strangely enough, I'm really interested in Another. Judging by the synopsis, it seems like more of a "mystery" and "thriller" anime, rather than a traditional "horror" anime. If my assumption is correct, I think I have made the right choice in choosing to watch Another as I really enjoy a good mystery every once in a while. However, if that is not the case, I'm probably going to be subjecting myself to some nightmare-inducing footage real soon. Nonetheless, I will try to watch Another to the end. Who knows? I may end up getting over my fear of horror through self-exposure.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Preview

I honestly have high hopes for Ano Natsu de Matteru (shortened to AnoNatsu). With that being said, romantic comedies generally always appeal to me so that may be partly why I'm confident in AnoNatsu. The story seems to be your typical slice-of-life plot that focuses on the lives of a group of friends who share common interests - with filmmaking being the shared hobby this time around. Personally, I am not too interested in filmography, but it's not like I find it boring either. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to this show and hopefully it'll live up to my expectations.

Nisemonogatari - Preview

Nisemonogatari, the sequel to the highly acclaimed Bakemonogatari, is arguably the most anticipated series of the season for many viewers. Personally though, I feel that Bakemonogatari was overrated so I'm not too sure if I'll enjoy Nisemonogatari. Furthermore, with UTW announcing their decision to not sub the TV release of Nisemonogatari, the lack of a good fansub for this show will make it difficult for non-Japanese-speaking viewers to truly enjoy the experience (assuming that there are tons of signs to typeset like in Bakemonogatari). Truthfully, the only reason I considered watching Nisemonogatari is because of the ryo x ClariS ED that was being advertised a while ago. Sure, it's pretty simple-minded of me to pick an anime based on just the ED, but as past experiences have taught me (irony for OreImo, Connect for Madoka), an anime that has ClariS singing the OP (the ED in this case) will most likely be good. Additionally, ryo from supercell has constantly composed great musical pieces. But above all else, I don't like leaving a series incomplete after I start watching it (i.e. all sequels/prequels) so I'll probably watch Nisemonogatari to the end.

Area no Kishi - Preview

Soccer isn't really my thing so when I first heard about Area no Kishi (shortened to AnK), I didn't really consider it as something I would watch. After carefully scanning through the Winter 2012 lineup one last time before the start of the season, I decided to pick up AnK since it would add to the variety of shows I planned to watch this season. Aside from the soccer terminology that I may or may not understand, I'm expecting AnK to have a decent amount of drama and some romance. And if I do stick with it to the end, I may learn a thing or two about soccer; it would be a nice educational bonus considering the fact that it's an anime I'm watching.

Senki Zesshou Symphogear - Preview

Senki Zesshou Symphogear (shortened to SZS): an anime about two girls saving the world through music. While this sounds like another apocalyptic story, the addition of the element of music is what grabbed my attention. Seeing as how THE iDOLM@STER, one of my favorite shows, came to an end last season, the absence of a music-oriented anime in my weekly schedule is quite disappointing. I'm just hoping that SZS can fill the void left by THE iDOLM@STER. Essentially, I'm looking for more music, as opposed to story/plot development, so I will watch in hope of seeing some budget-draining concerts.