Cinnamon Ass - Reborn Like a Zombie

April 2005 (aka Finally, Some New Anime I Might Watch)

Frankly, the January season has been appalling for me on the new anime front. Admittedly with my somewhat stringent tastes I don't exactly pick up a lot of shows in any given season, but only carrying on ONE show is a bit poor, even for me!

This time of year is always pretty poor for anime - last year I only kept up with Paranoia Agent and Jubei-chan II - but so many of this season's shows have either been shoddy and lackluster in presentation and execution (Peach Girl, Xenosaga, Negima) or flashy but dull (Ah My Goddess!, Jinki: Extend). Plus, what with the three series I'm still really following from October (Gankutsuou, Fantastic Children and Gakuen Alice) being rather slow on the subbing front, it's been a rather lean season on the recent anime front for me.

I've actually been following more in the way of new American animation recently. While both series are heavily anime-inspired, I've been greatly enjoying Avatar: The Last Airbender and W.I.T.C.H in the past couple of weeks. Avatar manages to get right one important factor that most shounen adventure shows fail at - a likeable lead character whose naivete and optimism is never grating or obnoxious - alongside some brilliant fight choreography and animation, whereas W.I.T.C.H is a far more accomplished "mahou sentai" show than recent Japanese compatriots such as Tokyo Mew Mew or Futari wa PreCure in my opinion, with sensible pacing and an excellent emotional dynamic between the female leads (although the token blokes are a bit crap, really).

However, this is an anime blog in name if not perhaps in execution, so enough of that (and don't even start me on the dark day where I got so bored I downloaded Mahou Sentai Magiranger episodes!). April will soon be upon us, and with it a slew of new shows for me to fall in love with/disparage horribly, as is my wont. Listed below are the main series I'm considering watching, followed by a list in the extended entry of most of the various other series airing this season. I may be more than a little overexcited about the fact that it's only about two weeks until these start airing...

My (hopeful) picks of the season:

Sousei no Aquarion - as a Shoji Kawamori/Yoko Kanno/Satelight fanboy, I have fallen entirely in love with this series before I've even seen more than a couple of trailers. Yes, it looks like a rehash of every series he's done before (environmental themes + winged people + transforming/combining mecha) but I anticipate it greatly anyway.

The official website features a streaming trailer and various other gubbins, while you can see an advert for the show here, and no doubt the TV Tokyo page will eventually have some more information.

Erementar Gerad - it's being hyped to the hilt, and I like fantasy adventure series when they're done right (very rarely, unfortunately) but hopefully it'll be pretty good. I read the first chapter of the manga a VERY long time ago and it was at least pretty, although I can't remember much about the plot. Even if it's dull, it's got Yuki Kajiura music and an opening theme by savage genius (Uta~Kata), so the first episode will at least be a pleasant listen.

Yes, I know it's already licensed by ADV, but they appear to have reneged on their plans to release it simultaneously in Japan and the US, so I'm taking the opportunity to watch it to see if it's worth buying anyway. More information eventually at TV Tokyo I'd assume.

Tsubasa Chronicle - despite the manga being pretty average I still keep buying the Japanese volumes, so I think that suggests that I might enjoy the series. As long as Bee Train don't Madlax it to pieces (there's a time and a place, people) it should be vaguely okay, although I've yet to find the fight sequences totally satisfying in the manga. Plus again, Yuki Kajiura music - and MAAYA SAKAMOTO SINGS THE ENDING THEME!

Tsubasa's been covered better by others such as Matthew and Garten in the past, so for further information see them, or buy the manga, or whatever.

Hachimitsu to Clover - anything shoujo with a muted colour palette interests me immediately, frankly. I don't know anything about the series really, but the artwork gives me something of a KareKano vibe and I'm definitely up for something like that.

Check out Garten's longer entry on this as well.

Eureka Seven - Bones Bones Bones Bones Bones. Plus SHOJI KAWAMORI AGAIN! I am so spoiled. Licensed by Bandai, but I've got to check this one out.

Trinity Blood - the artwork is absolutely stunning, I can't pass up a first episode if it looks like that, although the plot sounds a little on the unexciting side. I'm hoping for shoujo!Hellsing done better, frankly, so Gonzo had better pull this off.

Speed Grapher - again, Gonzo's 2D artwork is amazing, and the premise sounds novel enough, but will it turn out to be pants? Rumours abound of a trailer floating around the Net but I've not seen it anywhere (and don't tempt me to buy my own copies of Animage/Newtype, you have NO idea how hard it is to resist...)

Once more, Garten actually has copies of Newtype and so forth so he can tell you much, MUCH more about Speed Grapher than I can.

Fushigi Hoshi no Futago Hime - it looks like it might rot my teeth, but I have faith in the creative team behind Pretear. Plus I quite liked Comet-san, which has a very similar-sounding "helping people!" dynamic.

Again, TV Tokyo should eventually have more to say.

And on to the others...

Possible:

Emma - I love what I've read of the manga (I know, it's about a maid but it's still really good!), but fear this may spoil me for the series, plus while it's a great read it could be incredibly boring on screen - it's a rather lovely period romance, but I can't imagine it being overly exciting as an animation.

MAR (insert umlaut where appropriate) - I don't get on well with Shounen Jump/Sunday adaptations usually, and the manga is bloody annoying, yet I still feel compelled to at least give it a try. Plus, Garnet Crow are doing the opening and ending themes, and I love their music, so I have to watch at least one episode.

Ueki no Housoku - likewise (although I've never read any of the manga).

Glass no Kamen - it's shoujo... although it looks very, very melodramatic. Plus it's a remake, to which I say "what's the point?"

Loveless - shounen ai, but shounen ai with MAGIC SPELLS and nice character designs, so I feel obliged to try it. Plus I have friends who adore the manga, and Yuki Kajiura is providing the OP and the ED - the woman must be absolutely insane to keep churning all this out!

Basilisk - novel series adaptation, so should be quite deep, but secret ninja clans don't necessarily do it for me. Plus it's Gonzo.

Zettai Shounen - looks quirky enough, but not starting until May so I may have series overload by then.

The Snow Queen - given Japan's impressive pedigree with animated fairy tale adaptations this could be worth a look, but it looks like it's from the Poirot and Marple team which isn't exactly an indicator of amazing quality - although a duck mascot would probably be more appropriate here than it was there.

Gun X Sword - is this coming out this April? Goro Taniguchi (Planetes) directing, must be worth a shot.

Probably not:

Mushiking - game adaptation, blergh (although my suspicious enjoyment of Onmyou Taisenki may mean I like this...). Plus it's about battling beetles, of all things. However, I have to say that the artwork on the preview site is suspiciously pretty...

Eyeshield 21 - comedy about American football? Not my cup o' tea.

Gokujo Seitokai - anybody know ANYTHING about this? I guess it's a renai adaptation of some kind given the Konami credit, but the complete lack of prepublicity doesn't sound good.

Futakoi Alternative
- well, it can't be much worse than the original, but I think I'll pass anyway, not really my scene. I've watched the trailer, and while it looks a lot better than I first thought, I still doubt I'll like it that much.

He is My Master - oh look, it's Gainax doing more fanservice "comedy". Yaaaawn...

Ichigo 100% - all I've heard about this series puts me off it entirely.

Angel Heart - never seen City Hunter, never even wanted to, don't have the slightest inclination to watch this follow-up.

There's several other series that I don't known anything about at all, so if anyone wants to enlighten me on the topics of Koi Koi 7, Izumo, My Melody, Oden-kun or Otona-go no Nazo, then feel free. I also can't find any real confirmation that there's going to be a new series of GaoGaiGar aside from on Moonphase, so I'm treating that as unsubstantiated rumour.

Posted by BluWacky at March 20, 2005 04:14 PM | TrackBack