WALLS OF TL;DR

Since all respectable anime blogs have to have a “next season preview” post where they talk about what anime they are going to blog about next season, I decided I should have one too. Of course, unlike most (like 95%) other anime blogs I’m not going to actually watch any of these shows (I’ll probably watch maybe 5 first episodes, if that), much less blog about them. Also, I didn’t just copypaste synopses from ANN and that 4chan image summary that floats around, I did some actual research.

The list is from Moonphase. Interesting (not that “interesting” means that I will watch them) things are in bold. Oh, and the entire thing is basically just a crosspost from my ADTRW thread and a bad excuse to post something here. List follows after the jump (fuck you, RSS feed readers).

Spring TV series

03/06: Candy boy episode:06
Continuing shoujo-ai OVA. Webcast.

03/20: Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari Episode 01 (Otherworldly Story of the Seikishi)
Fantasy-ish OVA that is some kind of alternate universe spinoff of Tenchi Muyo, if you remember that.

03/26: Gin’iro no Corda ~second passo~
Special episode of what basically amounts to a shoujo harem show with lots of pretty boys and music. Original show was in 2005.

03/27: Lupin the 3rd VS Detective Conan
Pretty much exactly what it sounds like. OVA that airs on a PPV channel, if I understand it correctly.

03/30: Cooking Idol Ai! Mai! Main!
Kids show about cooking.

03/31: Star Wars/The Clone Wars
just take a look at the homepage and you’ll pretty much get it.
e: Not_Log says this is a rebroadcast of a western show. The more you know!

03/31: Marie & Gali
Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei and others teach kids about science with jokes, dance and music. 5 minute episodes.

04/01: Mainichi Kaa-san (Everyday Mom)
Anime adaption of a gag comic strip that runs in one of Japan’s largest daily newspapers.

04/01: Charade no Joke na Mainichi (Joke of the Day Charade)
I have no fucking clue.

04/02: Queens Blade Rurou no Senshi (Queen’s Blade – Wandering Warriors)
About as close to porn you can get without quite being there.

04/02: Phantom ~Requiem of Phantom~
Detective/mystery/action/girls with big guns series based on the visual novel with the same name. There was an OVA a few years back which everyone agreed was shit. The likelihood of this being much better is very low, since it’s a Bee Train show directed by that Noir/Madlax/El Cazador guy and thus guaranteed to put you to sleep. Amusingly stars Saji Crossroad and Feldt Grace (Irino Miyu and Takagaki Ayahi respectively) as the two main characters.

04/03: Higepiyo
Anime adaption of a 4-panel manga about an angry chicken.

04/03: Hayate no Gotoku S2 (Hayate the Combat Butler)
Another season of reference jokes, terrible puns and Santa punching. Previous season got really repetitive after a while, hopefully they start to add some of the manga’s drama parts in this one.

04/04: Gokujou! Mecha Mote Iinchou (The Best! Extremely Cool Student Council President)
Not a mecha show, quite the contrary. Seems to be some kind of sugary sweet shoujo show about doing your best and making friends.

04/05: Metal Fight Beyblade
I was hoping this franchise was permanently dead but apparently not.

04/05: Dragonball Kai
Remastered version of DBZ to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series! The latest HD technology, new versions of the opening and ending themes! Re-recorded audio and re-edited animation! Less episodes! A new voice recording led by Son Goku’s voice actor! If you ever wanted to get in on DBZ this is your chance!
(lol)

04/05: Jewel Pets
Sanrio’s latest merchandise gimmick.

04/05: Hagane no Renkinjutsushi FULL METAL ALCHEMIST
Complete remake of the original series, possibly closer to the manga. Lots of the original staff including voice actors are returning, it seems. Confirmed (?) for 51 episodes.

04/05: Konnichiwa Anne (Before Green Gables)
Delayed from winter season. Part of the World Masterpiece Theater series of adaptions of various children’s novels. Based on a prequel novel to the famous Anne of Green Gables; the anime is created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the original Anne novel.

04/05: Hanasakeru Seishounen
Reverse harem show; normal girl gets involved in international big business, gains pretty-boy suitors. Impressive staff/cast list though; the director has both Higurashi and Nodame Cantabile Paris on his CV, the female protagonist is voiced by Endo Aya (Miyuki in Lucky Star, Kinue Crossroad in Gundam 00) and the prettyboys are voiced by people like Fukuyama Jun (Lelouch) and Morikawa Toshiyuki (Sephiroth, Griffith in Berserk).

04/05: Guin Saga
Berserk-ish fantasy show based on a 120+ volumes long and still ongoing novel series about a man with a leopard mask. Music by Final Fantasy superstar Uematsu Nobuo. See the ADTRW thread.

04/05: Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity-
Generic harem show #512262 with the standard issue dumb premise (fox spirit girl promises to marry- fuck this you know the deal) and standard issue dumb name. Does star Wakamoto Norio, though.

04/05: Natsu no Arashi! (Summer Storm)
SHAFT and our old friend Shinbo does an anime adaption of the School Rumble manga author’s other romantic comedy manga. Impressive voice cast (Nonaka Ai (Kafka), Horie Yui (Minorin, Eri in School Rumble, etc etc), Shiraishi Ryouko (Hayate the Combat Butler), Sanpei Yuko (Nakiami in Xam’d)) that for some reason also has Omigawa Chiaki (Maka from Soul Eater) in one role.

04/05: Tears to Tiara
H-game-based (game in question by the guys that did Utawarerumono) mix between shounen fantasy and generic harem. Same director as Utawarerumono, too.

04/05: Saki
darkgray says: “It’s kinda like Akagi, but moé and with special attacks. Actually, it’s Nanoha meets Akagi.” Not sure how it’s like Akagi other than the Mahjong part, but whatever. Incomprehensibly good voice cast list including Fukuyama Jun (Lelouch), Koshimizu Ami (Horo from Wolf & Spice), Ueda Kana (Tohsaka Rin in F/SN, Yumi in Marimite), Rie Kugimiya (Taiga in Toradora and all other tsunderes ever) and Itou Shizuka (Rei in Marimite). Doesn’t have much else speaking for it though, especially since it’s Gonzo.

04/06: 07-Ghost
Boy in a gothic fantasy world goes to military academy, is top student, gets pursued by mighty empire for <reasons>, seeks shelter within a church with some magical “ghosts” protecting him, ends up important to the entire world and <stuff> etc. Seems like a shounen series but isn’t; on the contrary it’s shoujo and has vaguely gay vibes.

04/07: Souten Kouro (Azure Sky Route)
Two oldschool gentlemen with experience from things like Fist of the North Star and Legend of the Galactic Heroes direct a historical drama based on a 36-volume Romance of the Three Kingdoms-based manga that ended in 2005. Should be a very manly show.

04/08: Ristorante Paradiso
Girl is abandoned by her mother and ends up apprentice in a resturant in Rome. Lots of gratitious Italian expected. Gives Antique Bakery vibes and has some kind of gentlemen-with-glasses gimmick. :gay:

04/09: Higashi no Eden (Eden of the East)
Most of the GitS:SAC team plus the Honey & Clover character designer does what seems to be a mystery/action series involving terrorism, memory loss and a cell phone charged with 8.2 billion yen (around 82.5 million USD) in digital cash. Confirmed for 11 episodes, airs in the somewhat famous Noitamina timeslot.

04/11: Hatsukoi Gentei (First Love Limited)
Generic romcom/harem show based on a manga by the woman who did Ichigo 100%.

04/13: Lilo and Stitch the Series
oh disney-tan

April: Sugarbunnies Fleur
More Sanrio merchandise stuff.

April: Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S
I have no idea why anyone would ever think giving this a second season was a good idea.

April: Basquash!
Satelight does a show about basketball-playing mecha, and Nike is credited with “shoe design”. Kawamori Shoji and some other Macross people are involved somewhere too. I really don’t know if I should bold this or not.

April: Sengoku Basara (Devil Kings)
Production I.G. does an anime adaption of the Capcom PS2 game. Directed by that guy who was responsible for masterpieces like Rental Magica and Chrome Shelled Regios. On the other hand, it has Wakamoto Norio as Oda Nobunaga, Paku Romi (Ed in FMA) as Uesugi Kenshin, Nakai Kazuya (Zoro in One Piece) as Date Masamune and Noto Mamiko is also in there somewhere, so it can’t be all bad.

April: Pandora Hearts
Shounen fantasy show about some spoiled kid who gets spirited away to some other world from which he can only be rescued by the female protagonist who is some kind of magical being. You’ve seen it before. Directed by the Busou Renkin guy, music by Kajiura Yuki (with an OP by FictionJunction), female protagonist voiced by Kawasumi Ayako. Oh, and Fukuyama Jun is in this too. A busy man, that one.

April: K-On!
Kyoto Animation does a moé music show based on a 4-panel manga about some musically inept girls that nevertheless want to rescue their school’s music club. Not bolding, kyoani sucks now.

April: Senjou no Valkyria -Gallian Chronicles- (Valkyria Chronicles)
Anime adaption of the PS3 game, which kinda like an alternate reality WW2 thing. Pretty nice voice actor list, female protagonist is voiced by Inoue Marina (Yoko in Gurren-Laggan) and yep, Fukuyama Jun is in this too.

April: Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
The “rebroadcast” of Haruhi. Moonphase is listing it (despite usually never listing rebroadcasts), so I am too. Will it be anything new?

April: Asura Cryin’
Shounen fantasy thing about some guy who is haunted by the ghost of girl who was his childhood friend. The director was also responsible for Nanoha A’s and StrikerS, not sure what that means. Saji Crossroad (Irino Miyu) of Gundam 00 fame as the protagonist; OP and ED by angela.

April: Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-hen (True Mazinger SHOCK! Chapter Z)
No words should be necessary, especially not since it’s directed by the man who directed Giant Robo and G Gundam.

April: Chi’s Sweet Home S2
KITTY!

April: Shangri-La
Gonzo (apparently still alive) adapts a sci-fi novel where global warming has turned Tokyo into some kind of tropical forest city. Circles around some girl who leads an anti-government guerilla trying to stop the forestation. Character designs by superstar Murata Range (probably most familiar from Last Exile).

April: Cross Game
Baseball anime based on the manga with the same name (by this guy, who seems to do nothing but write baseball manga). No one will watch this. More people will watch this than anything else on this list, but no one will talk about it in English.

May: Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!!
Some kind of gimmicky comedy show where an office lady from an alternate reality tries to cheer people up.

Spring: ROBO CROSSER
Disney does some kind of motorcycle pseudo-anime.

Spring: Bakugan Battle Brawlers: New Vestroia
Some TCG/merchandise selling gimmick show funded by SEGA.

Spring: RAINBOW Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin (RAINBOW: The Seven Boys of Dorm 2, Room 6)
Anime adaption of an ongoing manga set in the 1950’s, following the lives of seven boys who get confined together in a room at a school for delinquents, and their lives after they leave.

Spring OVA’s and movies

03/06: Hayate no Gotoku S2 Episode 0
Special 0th episode OVA.

03/17: Tsubasa Chronicles OVA 1

03/25: Ichigo Mashimaro ENCORE Vol 2

03/25: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Rei Saigoroshi-hen (When They Cry Rei – Dice Killing Chapter)
Episode 2. Episode 1 turned out to be some pool fanservice thing so I dunno about this one.

04/03: To-Love Ru OVA 1

04/17: Tsubasa Chronicles OVA 2

04/24: ToHeart2 adplus OVA 1

04/24: Yurumates

04/24: Cobra The Animation: The Psychogun
kickin’ it oldskool

04/25: Gurren-Lagann the movie
yase

04/25: Eureka Seven the movie
double yase, funny that these two are on the cinema screens the same day

05/01: Denpa Teki na Kanojo (My Lunatic Girlfriend)
Mystery OVA set in the same universe as Kure-nai.

05/15: xxxHOLiC OVA 2

05/19: DOGS: BULLETS & CARNAGE Vol. 1
Assassins, guns, genetic manipulation, crime, underground organizations, dystopia, etc etc.

06/27: Rebuild of Evangelion: movie 2

Early summer: Kara no Kyoukai 7 – Satsujin Kousatsu (Go) (A Study in Murder – Part 2)
The final KnK movie. This is the cinema date, add another 6 months or so for the DVD :argh:

Later stuff

Nothing here is bolded because of lack of information.

July: Bakemonogatari (Monster Tales)
Based on a series of light novels by Nisio Oisin. Review: http://easternstandard.pbwiki.com/Bakemonogatari

Summer: Caanan
Aka. 428, aka. Typemoon’s latest project.

Summer: Spice & Wolf S2
more moeconomics

Summer: Summer Wars
New movie project by the guys who did Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo. Looking forward to this already.

Autumn: Nodame Cantabile S3
I didn’t read the manga this far so I dunno what happens, but it’s gonna be good.

Sometime 2009: Umineko no Naku Koro ni
See the ADTRW thread.

: Strike Witches S2
lol

: Gundam 30th (tentative name)
Gundam’s 30th anniversary project, probably to be released sometime 2009 or maybe 2010. Universal Century OVA. See this here ADTRW thread.