This post was written by Dark_Sage. He is Dark_Sage.
I’m pretty sure I could get these previews done a lot quicker if there was only one anime every season.
Note: For every series that I link to a manga, I’ve read at least the first volume before coming to an opinion. Unless, of course, I have reasons not to.
What kind of reasons? Good question.
~Table of Contents~
Dragonar Academy (Seikoku no Ryuu Kishi)
One Week Friends (Isshuukan Friends)
Selector Infected Wixoss
Brynhildr in the Darkness (Gokukoku no Brynhildr)
Riddle Story of Devil (Akuma no Riddle)
Daimidaler the Sound Robot (Kenzen Robo Daimidaler)
Haikyu!!
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior (Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou)
Blade & Soul
Mekaku City Actors
M3 -Sono Kuroki Hagane-
The World is Still Beautiful (Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukuushi)
Majin Bone
Knights of Sidonia (Sidonia no Kishi)
Baby Steps
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Here’s a visual guide (click image to expand, but I’d suggest doing so in another tab or something):
Excellent (9-10/10)
Zero no Tsukaima S5
Animation Production: C-Station (This is their first full animation production, but they’ve done animation production assistance on Tari Tari and Romantic Snafu)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/34563/seikoku-no-ryuu-kishi_ch1_by_shi-ki/1
Just look at this fucking shit. This manga is everything that’s wrong with the medium.
Breakdown: In the above image, MC-kun is racing a girl who was mean to him in order to get her to apologize for being mean (only if he wins of course). But other girls were being mean to her in the race. So he decided to stop the other girls from being mean to the mean girl because he’s just so fucking good-boy shounen. And he teaches her about friendship in the process!
+1 flag trip, +1 harem addition. Just another stupid fucking cliche…
Anime of the year. Yeah, baby!
One Week Friends
Animation Production: Brains Base (Brothers Conflict, Amnesia, D-Frag!, Sengoku Collection)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/170169/one-week-friends_v1_by_sense-scans/1
A boy tries to become friends with a girl, despite her feeble attempts to reject his friendship. Why? I dunno, she’s probably gonna die in a week per the title and doesn’t wanna shoulder anyone with the burden of mourning her. Way to waste your time, shounen-kun.
Yup, this one’s gonna be a tearjerker for anyone with taste as good as mine. Get your facial tissues ready if you qualify.
Selector Infected Windex
Animation Production: KyoAni J.C. Staff (Toradora, Arcana Famiglia, Shigofumi)
Manga: N/A
I normally get my dose of grimdark loli drama from watching middle schoolers hit up the local planned parenthood for their monthly scrapings, but with Windex, I can get it over with from the comfort of my own home.
If you’re on this site, I know you’re all about schadenfreude, and this series seems like it’ll deliver in spades. Get hype.
Brynhildr in the Darkness
Animation Production: ARMS (Maoyu, Kite, Queen’s Blade 2)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/81781/gokukoku-no-brynhildr_ch1_by_trinity-bakuma
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6-hrEA7zrw
Why the hell did they give this to ARMS? Well, say goodbye to the fucking story and hello to the plot.
Though maybe it’ll end up a good thing, since the manga was just an Elfen Lied where everyone kept their clothes on. Come on, ARMS. Hit me with enough nostalgia that by watching this show I can jerk off to the present and the past at the same time. It’s been a while since I’ve used both hands.
Good-ish (7-8/10)
Riddle Story of Devil
Animation Production: Diomedea (Squid Girl, Mondaiji-tachi, Dog & Scissors)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/187266/akuma-no-riddle_v1_by_kadavra-scans
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NICngdUaH1I
A bunch of assassins get put in a classroom and are assigned to kill the one non-assassin among them for reasons. And for more reasons, they just can’t seem to do it! What a whacky situation!
Reading the summary left a sinking feeling in my stomach that ended up anchored by absolutely goddamn nothing. This series rocks. See, while the series description would lead you to believe that it’s a typical harem, where all the female assassins fall in love with a male target, Akuma no Riddle takes scriptwriting to new heights by making the male target a female and only making one of the female assassins fall in love with her.
And you thought Japan was running out of ideas~
Daimidaler the Sound Robot
Animation Production: TNK (High School DxD, School Days OVAs, Busou Shinki)
Manga: http://ifscans.blogspot.com/ (Yes, it’s the only series this group did, and yes, they only did one chapter of it. Don’t read too much into it.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBMjZxroVhA
Basing a series around a robot with Downs syndrome seems like it would be a risky move, but to Japan it’s just a natural progression of their liberal social policies.
And by deigning to acknowledge the fansub scene with my reviews, it can be said that I too am tolerant toward those with intellectual disabilities. As such, it is my duty to hold this anime to the same standards I have of my fansubbing kin: none. I’m sure this series will meet expectations.
Haikyu!!
Animation Production: Production I.G (Yondemasu Yo Azazel-san, xxxHolic, Sands of Destruction)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/90299/haikyuu_ch1_by_u-prod-scanlations/3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6fiR9g2NrM
It’s a dumb shounen(-ai) sports anime aimed at people who thought the boys in Kuroko’s Basketball were too developed. Yup, it’s more ecchi for straight girls. Enjoy it, ladies.
Mehdiocre/Okay (5-6/10)
The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior
Animation Production: Brains Base (Princess Jellyfish, Penguindrum, Spice and Wolf Season 2, Natsume’s Book of Friends, Durarara!!, Denpa Teki na Kanojo)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/17920/bokura-wa-minna-kawaisou_v1_ch1_by_kirei-cake
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLo2Dc1srWQ
If you read that page, the series is pretty much summed up. There’s a wacky cast of characters, things happen, then you forget the show ever aired come next season. Save yourself the time and forget it’s airing during this one.
Blade & Soul
Animation Production: Gonzo (Shangri-la, Nyanpire, Last Exile S2)
Manga: N/A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI1_73pprUI
What a fucking trailer.
There’s something to be said for cheaply animated ecchi, but “worth watching” is not it. Queen’s Blade Lite will ultimately fail by the same standards most other anime are judged: an inability to be as enjoyable as Queen’s Blade.
Try again next time, Korea.
Mekaku City Actors
Animation Production: SHAFT (Dance in the Vampire Bund, Gilgamesh, Hidamari Sketch)
Manga: N/A
Just listen to the beautiful music. With a cacophony of that quality in the trailer, there’s no way this series could go wrong. Vocaloid is the future of entertainment, audio or otherwise!
M3 -Sono Kuroki Hagane-
Animation Production: Satelight (White Album 2, Symphogear, Muv Luv)
Manga: N/A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn3BPmXVTl4
A team of youths has to fight off monsters because that’s what Satelight’s marketing data says the world wants.
The character designs look all right, but from the trailer you just know the animation’s gonna suck and throw all that goodness away. Forget you ever saw the promo image and don’t look back.
The World is Still Beautiful
Animation Production: Pierrot (Bleach, Creamy Mami, Naruto)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/124312/soredemo-sekai-wa-utsukushii_v1_ch1_by_fallen-syndicate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDpCjfpzeis
It’s your typical shoujo with a sorta spunky girl and a confident (but emotionally challenged) male. I highly suggest if you’re interested in this bleh offering that you check out the manga rather than the anime, as you can skim over the sloppy character designs while reading. Otherwise, you’ll forced to endure their Aku no Hana-tier existence for 25 minutes multiplied by however many episodes the anime ends up dragging it out to.
If you do decide to watch this, just make sure to keep your emotions in check. The series is pretty good at giving glimpses of greatness and then failing to follow through with them at all. The mediocrity is consistent, even when it’s not.
Still Better than Ghibli-tier (0-4/10)
Majin Bone
Animation Production: Toei Productions (Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Kyousogiga, Slam Dunk)
Manga: N/A (thank god)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qctDNogU9zM
I’m fairly convinced at this point that any card game adaptation can only be enjoyed ironically, and even then only for the first few episodes. Well, any card game adaptation except for Majin Bone, cuz this series looks devoid of any form of entertainment you want to wrest from it.
Shounen boys power up using cards to henshin into giant robot power rangers– you know what, fuck it. Let’s move onto a different show.
Knights of Sidonia
Animation Production: Polygon Pictures (Transformers Prime. And no, that isn’t an anime.)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/88662/sidonia-no-kishi_v1_ch1_by_illuminati-manga
Because Japan thought we didn’t have enough boring military dramas about fighting aliens.
Hermaphrodites, clones, and giant, invincible fetuses that transform into humans when the fetuses eat them… you’d think this series had a recipe that couldn’t fail. But Nihei managed to create the Hot Pockets of manga, so now we all have to suffer for it.
I was originally going to read two volumes of this series as a nod toward all the seinenfags who would complain I didn’t read to the point where it “finally got good”, but I scrapped those plans once I realized the anime was going to be CG.
Sorry guys, this one ain’t your season either. Just rewatch Ergo Proxy and pretend you have half the personality of Vincent.
Baby Steps
Animation Production: Pierrot (Bleach, Creamy Mami, Naruto)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/14180/baby-steps_v1_ch1_by_hyuugalegacy/3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38uDir_Xpxk
Even if you’ve never watched a sports anime before, I guarantee Baby Steps will seem cliche to you. Hell, I’m already bored of talking about it. Pass.
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Animation Production: Studio Gokumi (Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge, A-Channel, Nakaimo)
Manga: http://www.batoto.net/read/_/230473/atelier-escha-logy_ch1_by_kisu-kissmanga-scans-kisu-kms
Looks like we’re getting another shit RPG adaptation ala Shining Wind, where characters whose involvement in the story should be limited to skippable cutscenes and risqué bath scenes are given way more of the spotlight than any human could handle.
Slice of life in a fantasy world is a fucking waste. Stop doing this to us, Japan. If you wanna screenitize an RPG, do Type-0 or something. I really don’t need another sleeping aid.
Summary
Read the table of contents. Part 2 when it comes.
Top-tier taste as always, Dark_Sage.
I’m actually surprised you didn’t try to troll with One Week Friends and did place it high in the list without much jokes. Sugoiiiiii
That was the original plan, but I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with it before I had to turn in for the night. (3 hours of sleep is just enough to keep me through meetings, I’ve discovered.)
you don’t pick ping pong the animation?
I’m not sure what’s difficult to understand about this being part 1 of 2.
I think it’s the part 2 of 2 not existing yet.
Oh. My bad.
Nope. Selector Infected Wixoss won’t be good. It’s J.C. Staff.
>Yup, this one’s gonna be a tearjerker for anyone with taste as good as mine.
I probably will cry, but for the failed plot, not the characters.
I’m kinda fearing that because everyone’s hyping this show like there’s no tomorrow, when I get to watch it I won’t be able to enjoy it because apparently this should have been a friggin flawless masterpiece..
I haven’t looked into the source material at all, but I am getting the impression that it will be another bullshit, boring sob story like Clannad or Angel Beats.
Exactly. 10/10.
You know Windex is a card battle show right
Xythar, out of curiosity, what’s your final opinion of Kill la Kill?
Somewhere between an 8.5 and a 9, I guess? Maybe I can make like Gamespot and give it an 8.8.
It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it was consistently entertaining all the way through and the story tied together nicely except the parts that didn’t. Episode 4 still the best.
Do you rate anything less than a 6? Because Kill la Kill’s writing for the second half of the second cour was objectively terrible. You even said so yourself:
>except the parts that didn’t
Kill la Kill was decent (primarily thanks to its soundtrack and occasionally good animation), but nothing more.
Quite frequently, yes.
Justin, I know Nyaa chat is down, and I know Xythar practically lives here, but have you considered fellating him on, say, Commie’s site or something instead of mine?
Who? Wha? W-
Who are you!
You know Madoka is a magical girl show right
The way I see this, Madoka isn’t that good of a comparison to Wixoss. It’s gonna be more like Black Rock Shooter, except without the magical body doubles and without the designs by huke (you know, the good thing about Steins;Gate, unlike its anime director, who’s now doing this show). Oh, and with card games.
Also, you say Wixoss is in the excellent tier, but Okada Mari is writing this, so I half-expect you to drop it because it’s gonna get really stupid. If you’re on board for the cute girls, then I bet you Pixiv will get filled with fanart of them very soon, anyway…
I’m watching it right now and I’m actually getting a bit of a Genei wo Kakeru Taiyou vibe off it (which itself was basically a low-rent Madoka clone). It was an alright show, but felt like it didn’t learn the right lessons from Madoka. It was a very simple magical girl show with some dark elements thrown in. Wixoss would appear to be the same, though I’m only halfway through the first episode so, who knows, maybe they’ll manage to make it more than some magical girls with darkness on top of the show rather than a part of it.
>Too use your head I think
Picked the fuck up
When I heard there was going to be an anime adaptation for Kagerou Project (Mekaku City Actors) I thought they were going to do more than just take the original music videos and make the characters blink a few times…
P.S. Seikoku no Dragonar will probably end up being mainly slice-of-life and focus on the ecchi parts of the story.
That’s because it’s not an actual anime CM. The first (and only) animated one was released just recently. I guess SHAFT overestimated itself with two shows in one season…?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SMD13VKj_k
Hm, no mention of Knights of Sidonia being the first anime to be based on a song by Muse. I am disappoint.
(The song was Knights of Cydonia, so I’ll forgive you for missing the link ;)
Yes, but I actually like Muse.
It’s a shame they didn’t base the series on the video for said song. I’m sure everyone would watch a series about space cowboys with awesome ‘taches who do martial arts.
Am I being trolled?
Take a really wild guess.
And godfucking dammit, Sidonia looks awful. Awful as all hell. I mean, I know Clone Wars looked horrendous, I know Transformers Prime looked horrendous. But between that stupid Tron show they did and this anime here, it’s like Polygon Pictures took a step BACKWARDS in quality.
And they’re fucking gonna do a Ghibli show next. D_S, I’ve always disagreed with you about Ghibli, but in Summer we’ll be of the same mind.
I watch the first few episodes of everything you recommend D_S!! Even when they turn out to be shitty ♥
Good call. That’s what I do too <3
Cool, so he’s going to hang with some friends, eh? I hope for them it’ll be over quick.
Atelier Escha to Logy? More like Atelier Scatology amirite
Bonus: the Spanish language uses the same word both for eschatology and scatology. You can imagine I giggle like a middle-schooler every time I see something about either the game or the show.
Based on the Sidonia PV, using that much CG kinda ruins the charm of the cyberpunk aesthetic the manga has going for it.
I assume part two of the spring preview will just be a full page about JoJo.
>decide to animate a potentially interesting series
>ruin any hope it has with utterly awful cg
God damn it Japan, why even bother?
ＷＩＸＯＳＳ＝ＷＥＡＫＳＡＵＣＥ
SHAFT fanboy here! screw you! vocaloid ftw! No seriously I hope it will be good~
When will you release part 2?
Is it dropped?
Knowing D_S’s ability to finish what he starts, expect it around August time.
It’s been 1 day, jesus fucking christ can you not wait?
I don’t think anyone’s being serious about that.
Never underestimate stupidity.
Indeed. Yours appears limitless :)
No. Expect it Monday. I’m writing something for minimum satement right now.
Brynhildr is AOTS, Mahouka is shit.
Anybody knows about it.
Why the fuck did you include those three for SHAFT instead of their most famous works: Bakemonogatari, Madoka, and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei?
Because I’m Dark_Sage. For more fun, see what I listed for the two Brains Base shows.
Knight of Cydonia is awesome. Manga you cant just read one chapter or volume to decide. If you dont like it, there are other fans. Take a look at amazon japan reviews. Very well review and i myself really do like it. Anime cannot be CG? Its a new direction and im loving it!
I’m fine with CG anime, in principle. In practice, Arpeggio had some pretty atrocious animation, and I’m not holding out hope for Cydonia to do it any better. Now that’s not going to stop me from watching a show (I actually liked Arpeggio, animation quality aside), but it is a mark against it nonetheless.
Dark_Sage, you are such a fucking faggot. Holy shit!
Do I detect a bit of jealousy over my superior taste? Fear not. If you work hard at it you can almost be as sugoi as me one day. Believe in your dreams.
I’m looking forward to a lot of the top ranked anime this season (Dragonar, Haikyuu! big fan of the light novel and manga). But I think you should give Baby Steps and Knights of Sidonia a second look. Baby Steps is a popular manga and one of my favorite sports mangas and Sidonia no Kishi is a pretty good manga in my opinion. I’m eager to see how the anime adaptation.