It’s never too Late – Summer Anime Preview 2011

Spring was a good season with plenty of good and interesting shows (a few of which will be continuing into the summer) but it turned to be a rather tough season for us here at BnB. We were merrily going about our business watching anime and blogging shows, when totally unexpectedly that damn twenty-limbed monster from Antarctica tracked us down and launched a surprise attack. What will happen to Team Zero? What happen will happen in the Summer Anime season?

Being the awesome team we are, we quickly sprung in to action but man is this 20-limbed monster persistent so it slowly wore our reserves down. We had to send Blindability out on a supply run and just our luck, we were hit by another night raid in which we lost both Poro & Haveiru X (they’re not dead just lost) so we’ve had to send Loba out to look for them coz he has some l337 skillz.

In the mean time as we look forward to Summer, its only Lygo and myself holding down the fort here, hopefully the others will make it back in time but here’s what we’re looking forward to and some we’re not.

Appleseed XIII

Jinni’s Animation Studio  |  No Idea  |  Mecha, Sci-Fi  |   Trailer

In the wake of the destruction of a worldwide non-nuclear war, the city Olympus has become the control center of the world. Run by Bioroids (cloned humans made from only the best DNA), it is defended from terrorists by special military forces. Among these are former LAPD SWAT member Deunan Knotts and her multipurpose cyborg partner Brialeos. They face a challenge from the Human Liberation Front and its terrorist underbelly the Argonauts. The leader of this group, Al Ceides, supposedly died 20 years ago in an attack on Poseidon, but now his shadow emerges once again.

jGLZa: I’ll keep talking about this one until they damn well air. A re-telling of the manga and has the same CGI/cell shading as Ex Machina which works for the mecha but not so much the characters. I dearly hope its a success.

Lygophile: Sci-fi post-apocalyptic societies are alluring, but somehow I can’t seem to fully like the 3d graphics, especially how the people are drawn. Perhaps I’m being too picky… everything else looks good.

Yuru Yuri

Dogakobo  |  04 July  |  School, Comedy  |  Trailer

Four fun-loving schoolgirls take over the former room of a tea ceremony club for their own “Gorakubu” (amusement club).

jGLZa: Despite how catchy it is to sing the title repeatedly I doubt I’ll be watching this. Perhaps its because they all seem to be groping each other or that they’re not a bad or maybe its just the lack of them eating cake with their tea, I don’t know?
Lygophile: Uhhhh yeah. It looks like K-ON. Except younger and with tea instead of instruments.
 

Kamisama Dolls

Brains Base  |  05 July  |  Action, Drama, Mecha?  |  Trailer 1  Trailer 2

Kyouhei, after moving away to Tokyo from his old town to get away from the events that happened, is on a goukon with his friends, including his old neighbor, Shiba. After drinking for a whole night, he and Shiba discover a dead, bloody body in the elevator. He is told by his younger sister, Utao with her Kamisama Doll, that Aki, an old friend, and his Doll are the culprits responsible.

jGLZa: If you watched the first trailer you may think this is so generic slice-of-life show but if you watch the 2nd trailer you would have seen a much darker anime filled with blood. I really don’t know what to expect but I’m sure going to watch it though.

 
Lygophile: Murder to start out the story and some sort of doll being a central part of the plot. Since I’ve read a couple chapters of the manga, I’ll make it known that the dolls are telepathically controlled and used to fight with. Brains Base is pretty good, so I trust this will be a decent anime at the least.

Usagi Drop

Production I.G  |  07 July  |  Drama, Slice-of-life  |  Trailer

Going home for his grandfather’s funeral, thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover! The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to take her in himself! But will living with this overgrown teenager of man help Rin come out of her shell? And hang on, won’t this turn of events spell doom for Daikichi’s love life?!

jGLZa: Its been made into a successful live-action show already and the manga is very popular, it has to be. Anyway it’s Production I.G and is in the noitaminA slot, of course I’m going to watch it.
Lygophile: Impressive grandfather. Anyway, seems like some sort of mostly serious touching story about a single guy raising a child. A pretty unique plot.
 

Blood-C

Production I.G + CLAMP  |  03 July  |  Vampires, Action  |  Trailer

CLAMP get a chance to tell us about the Blood world starring vampire killer Saya.

jGLZa: I’ve never watched any of the previous Blood anime but they’ve been on my to watch list for a long time. May try and squeeze in the movie before this starts. Not the biggest fan of CLAMP though.
Lygophile: Vampires #1 (I think?). Hooray CLAMP, they make good manga. I couldn’t find any plot summaries; but seeing as CLAMP’s doing it, it’ll probably be somewhat convoluted. I don’t mean that in a bad way.

No. 6

BONES  |  07 July  |  Drama, Action?  |  Trailer

The story takes place in the ideal city “NO.6” in 2013. Shion was judged as having “highest-ranked intelligence” when he was two years old and was allowed to live in the luxurious area “Cronos”.

On his twelfth birthday, he met a beautiful boy called “Nezumi,” who had escaped from a reformatory. Shion protected him, but the Public Security Bureau deprived Shion of all his privileges and expelled him from Cronos to “Lost Town”.

Four years after the banishment, a mysterious accident leads Shion to the secret of the city NO.6.

jGLZa: The class based drama reminds me of Shangri-La which I liked and because its noitaminA I doubt the BL will be too problematic, so I’ll definately give this a shot and probably blog it if the actions decent.
Lygophile: Dystopian societies – a staple of world settings. Even better, one where high-worth individuals are given better treatment. I’m highly interested in how it’ll turn out. ‘Public Security Bureau’ sounds so shady, doesn’t it.

Mayo Chiki!

Feel  |  07 July  |  Butlers/Maids, Ecchi, School  |  Trailer

Konoe Subaru, 17, has been serving as the butler of Suzutsuki Kanade in school, a classmate of Sakamachi Kinjirou. Due to an accident, Sakamachi discovers Subaru’s secret… that he’s actually a girl!? Apparently she will be removed from her position if anyone at school finds out. What will unfold from this chain of events?

jGLZa: Butler/Maid animes have never been my cup of tea (except Kamen no Maid Guy, I loved Kamen no Maid Guy) add to that the lame cross-dressing (he/she has a bow in their hair, really!) and you’re really pushing it. May be worth a gander for some ecchi, I think I saw some cat-ears.

Lygophile: Butlers and traps. Trailer had too much fanservice for me to consider seriously.

 
 

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee

Satelight  |  03 July  |  Moe, Loli  |  Trailer

The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family’s ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar’s nephew and shopowner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s.

jGLZa: I’ve read the synopsis and watched the trailer numerous times and I still don’t get what the point of this show is? All I can say is that there is a japanese girl in France looking oh so very very moe… not my cup tea & croissant though.
Lygophile: Somewhat similar to Usagi Drop, in that both have an adult raising someone not their child. Though this one also has the child from a different culture. Of course, language barriers will not be an issue. I think Usagi Drop looks more interesting.

The iDOLM@STER

A-1 Pictures  |  07 July  |  Harem, Music, Moe?  |  Trailer

Adaptation of Bandai Namco’s Idolmaster game. In the game the player manages the careers of 10 aspiring  japanese idol singers as a producer.

jGLZa: Game adaptations usually always suck, this will be no different, except that millions of people will watch this one. Oh Japan.

 

Lygophile: Huge harem thing, I guess? I dunno, the summary had two sentences. And one said that this was a game adaptation. The other talks about the game. Q_Q

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro-Usagi

ZEXCS  |  08 July  |  Action, Supernatural  |  Trailer

Taito has been really sleepy lately, and keeps dreaming of a female vampire who says she has given him her “poison.” Sometimes he even thinks he hears her voice when he’s awake. But after surviving an accident that should have killed him, Taito’s world changes drastically and he realizes that his dreams are more real than he thought.

jGLZa: Whats this? Vampires and Mahou Shoujo, thats first isn’t it? Seems interesting but it has this Nineties vibe to it, SO MUCH HAIR! But ZOMG, did you see that bus ride over that guys head! Also, for a vampire/magical girl anime they sure showed a lot of pantsu in the trailer.
Lygophile: Vampire #2. I briefly checked out the manga and it didn’t flow smoothly in my opinion. The setup is pretty decent, though it seems a little common with the mysterious girl abruptly changing the main character’s life.

R-15

AIC  |  08 July  |  School, Ecchi  |  Trailer

Akutagawa Takuto is a teenage porn novel writer. He enters Hirameki Gakuen, which accepts only geniuses with outstanding talent. He leads his classmates with his porn skills to win the interclass competition.

jGLZa: I’m rather excited for this show, it seems similar to Special A in that clever kids are competing against each other and the main guy being an erotic novelist excites me to no end. Don’t judge me.
Lygophile: Is it legal for underage kids to develop stuff only for 18+? I don’t know what to expect from this other than comedy – it could go either way. Also, lol at “He leads his classmates with his porn skills to win the interclass competition”.

Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel – Kyun Kyun☆Tokimeki Paradise!!

J.C. Staff  |  04 July  |  Mahou Shojo, School  |  Trailer

Haruka Minazuki and Aoi Kannazuki are freshman high school students and best friends. During the day they help with school activities but at night they thwart enemies like Black Auction and other villains as Red Angel and Blue Angel, the Twin Angel team.

jGLZa: Seems like a classic straight forward Mahou Shojo anime, so nothing too exciting here especially considering what Madoka has done with genre.

 

Lygophile: Magical girl superhero stuff isn’t my thing.

 
 

Morita-san wa Mukuchi

Studio Gram  |  05 July  |  School, Comedy, Slice of Life?  |  Trailer

Morita Mayu, a high school girl. She is extremely reticent and her silence and habit of looking at people’s eyes straightly sometimes cause misunderstanding. The reason behind it is not because she doesn’t like to talk nor because she has nothing to say. The reason she rarely speaks is due to the fact she thinks too much before speaking, thus losing the timing to speak altogether. But she lives a happy school life with her classmates.

jGLZa: The synopsis sounds incredibly like my time in school, except I didn’t think to much I was just a slow thinker.

 
Lygophile: Not so interested in someone’s happy school life. Throw in some conspiracy theories or villains or something more interesting than a girl who stares a lot and maybe you’ll hook me.

Baka to Test to Shokanjou 2

Silver Link  |  07 July  |  Comedy, School, Supernatural  |  Trailer

Advanced placement into a school of higher grade proof-reading is determined by the results of the Promotion Test strictly for class type. Ranging from A class with the best facilities anyone can offer all the way down to F Class which is composed of low dining tables, rotten tatami mats and other worn out facilities. Students can change classes by competing using the Examination Summons Battle system or ESB. Students summon characters with their equivalent test mark scores and use them to compete with other classes.

Lygophile: Rumor has it that this series is funny, but I wouldn’t know since I haven’t watched the first season.

 

jGLZa: You should really watch the first season Lygo, its completely laugh your socks off funny and I expect plenty of the same from the 2nd season.

 
 

Dantalian no Shoka

GAINAX  |  15 July  |  Supernatural  |  Trailer

Hugh Anthony Disward inherits an old mansion and a personal library from his grandfather. In the basement of the mansion, he meets a mysterious girl Dalian. She is a Dantalian and a gateway to “Dantalian’s bookshelf”, which stores the prohibited books of the demons.

“Gensho (Illusory Books)”, the prohibited books, endanger the balance of the world but people are fascinated by the taboo. Huey and Dalian solve the cases involving Gensho with their ability to access the Dantalian’s bookshelf.

jGLZa: Books and demons, seems cool but I don’t see any of the trademark over the top GAINAX-ness, hopefully thats still there.

 
Lygophile: Mysteries… I’m not so enthusiastic about mysteries. However, I’ll make an exception in this case because the summary is very interesting. Prohibited books imbalancing the world and corrupting people… woah. Also, I hear GAINAX makes good anime.

Mawaru Penguin Drum

Brains Base  |  07 July  |  Penguins, Comedy  |  Teaser 5 Teaser 6

New project from the director of Revolutionary Girl Utena, Kunihiko Ikuhara. The story will center around the lives of three siblings: Kanba, Shouma, and Himari Takakura, with Himari as the female main character.

jGLZa: Initially I dismissed this as being a lame kiddies show but then I saw how the penguins looked, CUTE! I must watch this now, at least the first episode, also Ikuhara does decent stuffs. PENGUIN POWER!
Lygophile: I don’t know anything about this, I couldn’t find any real trailers and the summary doesn’t help much. It’s interesting that the main characters will be siblings, since that isn’t too common.

Manyuu Hikenchou

Hoods Entertainment  |  10 July  |  Ecchi, Fighting  |  Trailer

It is currently the Taiheimeji Era. It is a reign ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate. Inside this shogunate, there is a group of warriors that support the government. They are the Manyuu Clan.

In this current era, breasts mean everything. If you have breasts, you are guaranteed wealth and popularity. If you lack them, you are rarely considered “human”. Members of the Manyuu Clan help raise the future big breasts. Written on a secret scroll possessed by the clan, there is said to be various techniques on how to grow big and beautiful breasts.

Chifusa is to be successor of the clan. However, she takes the secret scroll and runs away with it, hoping to fight against the cruel world that the Manyuu Clan has created…

jGLZa: OPPAI!!!!

 
 

Lygophile: Stop.

 
 

Uta no Prince-sama – Maji Love 1000%

A-1 Pictures  |  02 July  |  Singing?, Bishounen  |  Trailer

Nanami Haruka wants to be a song writer, so she attends an idol training school filled with beautiful bishounen. The school pairs each aspiring songwriter with an aspiring idol, but Haruka finds herself paired with 3 idols! To make things more difficult, Nanami is also not allowed to date any of her beautiful partners!

jGLZa: The character designs look decent and Im sure hilarious situtions will pop up given that she cannot date any of her partners but this ain’t for me.

 

Lygophile: Argh.

 
 

Kami-sama no Memo-chou

J.C. Staff  |  02 July  |  Detective, Slice of Life  |  Trailer

Story centers around a “NEET detective” girl named Alice and her assistant, a high school freshman boy named Narumi Fujishima.

jGLZa: I always like shows with NEET-like characters in it and there’s even someone with goggles, so I’ll at least watch the first episode.

 

Lygophile: Gosick 2 maybe? Eh, if it’s only about detectives solving mysteries then I’m not so interested.

 
 

Nyanpire The Animation

GONZO  |  06 July  |  Cats, Samurai?  |  Trailer

The Story follows a black cat who was abandoned and left to starve. Just before the cat’s life was to be extinguished, a vampire emerged from the darkness and gave it blood. Now, “Nyanpire” (a combination of the Japanese pronunciations for a cat’s meow and “vampire”) lives as a seemingly ordinary house cat raised by a human girl.

jGLZa: GONZO is back! Still sh!t though.

 
 

Lygophile: lol

 
 

Ro-Kyu-Bu!

Project No.9 & Studio Blanc  |  01 July  |  Loli, Moe, Sport  |  Trailer

Hasegawa Subaru enters a basketball club of Nanashiba High School, but the activity of the club gets suspended because the club leader falls in love with an 11 year old daughter of the coaching teacher. Subaru’s aunt asks him to coach a basketball club of elementary school girls. At first, he is reluctant to teach small girls, but he devotes himself to the club as he knows the complex circumstances of them.

jGLZa: NBA – Under 13 division. w00t!

 
 

Lygophile: wtf I looked at a trailer and this is pedophilia.

 
 

Sacred Seven

Sunrise  |  02 July  |  Mecha, School  |  Trailer

A “new school battle action” project by Sunrise. The tagline is “People’s memories change the world!”

Lygophile: A “school battle action”, huh. And it’s even new! Well, other than the lack of information, Sunrise is pro so give this a look.

 

jGLZa: Mecha! (and some other funky looking things) Thank god for Sunrise.

 
 

Blade

MADHOUSE x Marvel | 01 July  |  Vampires, Action | Trailer

Blade is a vampire hybrid who is able to walk in the sunlight (daywalker) and fights against the real vampires to save humanity whilst fighting against his own vampire instincts and urges to drink human blood.

jGLZa: Sigh. Another MADHOUSE x Marvel colab, another emasculated hero. Blade looks more like his about to play some golf than kill vampires.

 

Lygophile: Vampires #3. I’m mostly neutral about the marvel adaptions, and I’ll wait before watching this one.

 

 UPDATE/EDIT: Corrected wierd formatting and added air dates for shows, although I don’t know how accurate my source was as it seems that upwards of 10 shows air on 07/07 which seems odd, so use them as a guide and not cast in stone.