What won’t I be watching in the fall
I think this “anime” thing is a fad, really.
As evidenced by the last post, I picked up a lot of shows in the spring, and added Xam’d to that list for the summer. I need a bit of a break now. So I’m going to be pretty strict on what I’m watching with the upcoming season. Here’s what I’m avoiding:
- Sequels – This takes Hell Girl, Nodame Cantabile, and Gundam 00 off the table. Also, Vampire Knight, but that fits the “I hate vampires (still willing to go back and try Hellsing)” rule, the “no shoujo” rule, and the “Vampire Knight is shit” rule.
- Game adaptations – Wow, two strikes for Sunrise, with Tales of the Abyss. I just don’t do those things. Druaga didn’t count because it was an 8-bit game and they didn’t play it straight. That goes (mostly) for visual novels, too.
- Mindless Fanservice – Oh, Rosario+Vampire… yeah. Already a sequel, too.
- J.C. Staff – I’m convinced they don’t know how to pace a series. Nabari No Ou has followed Shana’s same pattern, and it has yet to pick back up. That means, To Aru Majutsu no Index, and Toradora… you’re out. Auf wiedersehen.
- Crazy pedo-factor – That’s par for the course. Even Shana makes me slightly uncomfortable when I take a step back. But I say hey, it’s Japan, shake it off, and go read Atarashii Prelude. Macademi Wasshoi! though… that creeps me right the hell out.
- Shoujo – In case you missed it… not a girl. Itazura is enough for a while.
- Sports – Sorry to break it to you, One Outs. I hate sports anime. Probably because I hate sports.
- Gundam – Just as a bonus, even though Gundam 00 was already precluded for being a sequel. Watching it just reminded me how much I don’t like Gundam.
What might get me watching
- Good actors – Aya Hirano in Hyakko, for instance. But Strike Witches is full of fan-favorite, sex-on-tape seiyuus and it’s still pure crap. So maybe not.
- Really nice style – Yozakura Quartet looks like it has it,
- More Gonzo 0-day streaming – Not sure if they’ll do that with Kurogane no Linebarrel, but if so I’ll check it out. Been a while since I saw a good Super Robot show anyway.
- Old-school vibes – Michiko To Hatchin seems to fit the bill, possibly. Casshern SINS actually is old school. I have the pseudo-live-action movie, and it’s really cool even though it’s 18 hours long and has one of those “who gives a shit anymore” Akira endings.
- GAINAX – Meaning, Shikabane Hime: Aka. There is simple math here. Gainax plus zombies equals my one guarantee.
Dare I say, fuck yes? (from the manga)
Crossovers
Chaos;Head – This is apparently a game adaptation. It looks really cool though. Gore, horror, sci-fi? It fits nicely enough into “old-school vibe” for me to ignore the video game rule.
Gotta admit, thats one helluva name.
Hokuto no Ken Raoh Gaiden: Ten no Haoh – Seriously? Forget the sequel rule, this is the definition of old school. Fist of the motherfucking North Star. I have so been waiting to watch people punch heads until they explode. I even said motherfucking. It might end up being too many episodes and eventually I’ll think it’s crap, but.. exploding heads. Seriously.
Exceptions
Clannad – You got me. It’s a visual novel adaptation and it’s a sequel. I didn’t even like the first season that much, but I’m stuck. Plus, I’ll bet it’s finally weepy-weepy time for the Clannad crew, and isn’t that really where Kyoto shines in these Key adaptations? I’m sure I’ll be watching it, much like…
ef – What the fuck? I know! Another visual novel + sequel combo! Sue me. ef was awesome. It certainly wasn’t as deep as lots of people made it out to be, but that’s not the series’ fault. What it did do successfully was strike an emotional chord really genuinely, where most shows of its kind give you empty melodrama.
Corpse Princess, ef, North Star, and Chaos;Head, along with Xam’d and maybe some bonus Clannad (can we pleeeease do widescreen this time around?) would make a pretty good season lineup. What’s everyone else taking on?
Wait… Gainax… and zombies? Motherfucking hell yes!
I haven’t researched the fall season yet so I’m not sure what I’ll be watching, will probably go with the flow as I did for summer. Might increase my sample size this time too. And is this a Lucky Star OVA I spy? Hmmm!
Well, since you asked, I’ll respond: “sequels, game adaptations, and shoujo” … but really I just wanted to annoy you by watching what you won’t.
Except you made exceptions for everything in my column – Chaos;Head, Clannad AS, and ef (melodies) lead the way for me, not under “game adaptations and sequels” but under “visual novel adaptations”. A bit of a difference between that and adapting something like Tower of Druaga or Persona or whatever. Harem central and all.
One Outs is worth a shot for me because it’s not just sports, but Super Gambling Sports(tm), kind of like Akagi or Kaiji (same animation team too), with less of a focus on the game itself and more on the mindgames and personality deconstruction … but I can’t say it’s the same for sure.
And did you watch the original Nodame? I thought it was a quite ace show (although those less entranced with music may miss a lot of the fun) and the shoujo tilt was very moderate, especially compared to a S.A. or an ItaKiss. It’s more of a slice-of-life feel to me. Your call, although I’d say start with the original.
I am taking on everything you are taking on, and then everything you are not taking on, and then adding on things you did not even mention. With a few exceptions here and there. Also, school starts in less than a week.
I want to shoot myself.
I might post on this tomorrow or Saturday, depending on how time works itself out (I shot myself in the foot this morning sleeping in, but that’s what vacations are for, damn it). I may have to call in Momo (Michael Ende Momo, not some other Momo).
Korasoff: well, it’s the fall, and things look pretty good accordingly. Check out THAT’s pretty comprehensive guide. I could certainly handle more Lucky Star, myself — didn’t know that was coming soon.
CCY: I am not in the least bit annoyed.
This is why there is more than one person on the internet, I say. All I hope is that I see more posts from you next season, regardless of the show.
I haven’t seen all of Nodame, I do like how music-centric it was. Although it’s not quite the recipe for success of, say, RahXephon (music + robots), it’s certainly one of the better-looking prospects in a pretty good-looking season.
OGT: You are a crazy mofo, but don’t shoot yourself. You need to live to see the Shirley Fenette Zompocalypse come to fruition.
Wouldn’t it be better to witness the Shirley Fenette Zompocalypse if I were a zombie, myself?
THINK ABOUT IT.
Dude I am so watching Gundam 00!
But seriously, I too am going to be viewing the proverbial Ef, Clannad and Xam’d. So that, with G00 makes it my fall quartet. Kannagi is probably the next up for possible shows.
Gainax…”This beautiful yet ugly world” I heard sucked massively so…yeah. I’m hesitant. Mind rape anime is never my first choice.
Looks like the plot just cost that one girl an arm and a leg!
OGT, I can’t think about it if you’re EATING MY BRAIN.
lelangir, Ugly Yet Beautiful does not count. It was indeed a suck-fest. I mean, horrible. I can’t say enough bad about it. If you look hard enough, you’ll find a horrible review of that piece of crap on this very site.
But Gainax, despite their notorious problem with endings and budget management, has done far more good than bad – Nadia, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi, Otaku No Video, Gunbuster, Mahoromatic (from what I hear, still need to catch up with those 2), and some truly transcendent stuff: Wings of Honneamise, FLCL, Evangelion, and Gurren Lagann. And blah blah blah. That’s an excellent track record, and for my money they’re still the otaku’s otaku’s studio. Or something like that.
Kabitzin — I sincerely hope married life is going well (unless it hasn’t happened yet, in that case post-date my sentiments). I also want you to know, I’m on the phone with the pope and he’s putting the paperwork through now to have your wife canonized.
I’m a firm proponent of the wait for other people to tell me what rocks approach (which tends to mean no adaptations, fanservice, pedophilia). Though I’ve not seen any of the bad GAINAX productions so that’s one cert.
Personally I find posts like this more digestible than full on season previews, because they help me to skip over the gay vampire sports icons. People seem to be talking about Tytania though.
@coburn: *gasp* but it’s Artland!
Though I know nothing of Artland.
People are talking about Tytania because it’s from the same original author and same director as that classic of classic anime space operas, Legend of Galactic Heroes.
I think LoGH is better than Star Wars (and that Iserlohn Fortress is infinitely cooler than the Death Star, despite being a blatant rip-off of it, kind of), so, yeah.
OK I have an ugly, ugly confession to make. Yep. Never saw it. Dunno why. Just… didn’t.
Oh my god.
So I just watched Detroit Metal City…like three times in a row.
Yup, you can count on me (somewhat) to deliver the lolis!
[...] Well… let’s not get carried away. I mean… are there robots involved? This affects my answer. I suppose I did caption that image “Fuck yes,” but really that picture was just enabling some fine-ass Kabitzin punnery. [...]