Saturday, March 31, 2007

himegoto 36

Spring 2007 Preview picked from Random Curiosity.






















































































































































Hitohira


http://www.hitohira.tv/


Premieres March 28th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 11:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 22:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This show is centered around a girl who has problems speaking when
she’s nervous, yet somehow ends up in the drama club. I’m mainly
interested in this because there’s a promotion video on the official site that didn’t look too bad and because Kawasumi Ayako is voicing the main character’s friend.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann


http://www.gurren-lagann.net/


Premieres April 1st, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 8:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 19:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


GAINAX’s newest series is about a boy who lives underground and finds a
robot that looks like a head. The mecha designs are thus pretty
interesting looking, but the real draws here are the GAINAX staff
(featuring director Imaishi Hiroyuki)
and what looks to be, from the promotional material, plenty of
high-octane action. My only concern is that this is airing on a Sunday
morning, so it might be oriented towards a much younger audience.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Hayate no Gotoku!


http://hayatenogotoku.com/


Premieres April 1st, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 10:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 21:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Kugimiya Rie
is back in another one of those bratty girl roles she plays best. She
of course voices Nagi in the upcoming animation of Hayate no Gotoku!,
better known as Hayate the Combat Butler, which is about a boy named
Hayate who becomes a butler because of a debt and the subsequent
adventures he gets himself into. You may remember that I talked about
this show a couple of months ago.
I’m really excited to see how they adapt the manga (how many
anime/manga references they keep in) and to hear the opening song by KOTOKO.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed
Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS


http://www.nanoha.com/


Premieres April 1st, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 25:10


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 12:10


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Despite its fairly uninspired first season back in 2004, Nanoha came
back with a bang a year later with Nanoha A’s, where an expanded cast
allowed it to create an intriguing new Magical Girl franchise of team
battles powered by German-speaking cartridge-boosted weapons and
superior transformations. The result was an enormous (and slightly
scary) following among anime viewers, and in response director Kusakawa
Keizou now gives us a third season. During 26 episodes we’ll rejoin
Nanoha and Fate, but 10 years have passed since their introduction. As
full-fledged members of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, they
supervise a new set of young ladies, voiced by Saitou Chiwa, Nakahara
Mai, Inoue Marina and Takahashi Mikako (who returns in a new female
part). (Thanks Patrik for the writeup)


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Heroic Age


http://www.xebec-inc.co.jp/anime/heroicage/


Premieres April 1st, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


XEBEC and the Fafner staff are back for a new space mecha show that
seems to be steeped in Greek mythology. It’s about a princess Deianira
who starts on a journey because humanity is being threatened, and she
meets a boy named Age. I mention Greek mythology because Deianira was a wife of Hercules, and the official website lists 12 Labors, which would appear to be a reference to Hercules’ Twelve Labors. I still get a bad feeling whenever I see a show with Hirai Hisashi’s character designs, but I may just give this one a try.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Seto no Hanayome


http://www.setonohanayome.com/


Premieres April 1st, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 26:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 13:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


I was quite taken aback by how serious and cool the official website
looks given that the manga for this is relatively a light-hearted
romance comedy (Edit: wouldn’t you know it, right after I finish
writing this, they go and change the website). This story is about a
boy who gets saved by a mermaid and then has to marry her or else face
death at the hands of her yakuza father. Momoi Haruka voices San, and she also sings the opening song (along with Nogawa Sakura)
- I’m mentioning that mainly because I haven’t heard her sing an anime
OP or ED for a long time (no, Lovely Idol doesn’t count).


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Touka Gettan


http://www.avexmovie.jp/lineup/momotsuki/


Premieres April 2nd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This is an animation of a h-game that’s also being released the same
month about a main character who’s lost his memory. Perhaps more
interesting is the fact that this was supposed to be a sequel of sorts
to the Moonlight Lady
hentai series, though they dropped the “Moonlight Lady II” part from
the title. Also of note is how this is being animated by Studio DEEN
and the Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito staff.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
El Cazador de la Bruja


http://www.elcazador.tv/main.html


Premieres April 2nd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


From the people who brought you Noir and Madlax comes a third series
about girls with guns. El Cazador is about a bounty hunter protecting a
young girl suspected of murder from other bounty hunters. Past
experience has made me rather wary of the fact that Bee Train is animating this, though I may watch the first episode just to hear the OP by savage genius and the ED by FictionJunction YUUKA.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Idolmaster XENOGLOSSIA


http://www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/idolmaster/


Premieres April 2nd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 26:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Mondays at 13:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


If there’s one show I really
want to see this upcoming season, it’s Idolmaster XENOGLOSSIA. For
those of you who may not know, The Idolm@ster is a popular game about
raising a pop idol. What XENOGLOSSIA does it is that it takes those
characters and makes them mecha pilots - the mecha are known as iDOLs
and their pilots are Idolmasters. Add to that the fact that Sunrise’s
Mai-HiME/Otome team is working on this, and I think you have a fairly
good recipe for success. And that’s not even counting the fact that
there’s tons of top voice talent including Horie Yui, Tamura Yukari, Koshimizu Ami, Nakahara Mai, Noto Mamiko, and Yukana attached to this project.


Edit: The first episode ended up being slightly disappointing, but I still look forward to seeing how this show develops.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed
Kiss Dum -ENGAGE planet-


http://www.kissdum.com/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 12:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Kiss Dum is a show about a pilot in a defense organization created to
protect against hostile aliens. There were rumors earlier about big
problems on the production staff, but things seem to have been
straightened out, and there was even a trailer shown at the Tokyo International Animation Fair. The renowned Kawamori Shouji
of Macross fame (among other things) is doing the mecha designs here,
which is probably why they resemble aircraft. It feels like there are a
lot of mecha-related shows this season and they all seem to have their
merits, so I won’t be sure whether I’ll be picking this one up until I
see the first episode.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Claymore


http://www.ntv.co.jp/claymore/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:26


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 12:26


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Claymores are a group of female warriors named after their weapons who
are half human and half demon, and they protect humanity against the
full demons. From what I’ve read and seen, I get the feeling that this
will be a fairly violent and bloody show (not that there’s anything
wrong with that). Other things to note are that Madhouse is doing the
animation for this and that veteran seiyuu Kuwashima Houko is voicing the main character Clare.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Over Drive


http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/overdrive/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Over Drive is about a kid striving to be the best at cycling. While
I’ve got nothing against this series or against sports anime in
general, I’m not really interested in this at all. If I wanted to watch
a sports show this season, I’d probably pick Ookiku Furikabutte instead
(see below).


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Oh!-EDO ROCKET


http://www.ohedorocket.jp/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Despite Ayakashi Ayashi having soured me on anime set during the Tenpou Era,
Oh!-EDO Rocket has a fairly interesting premise. It involves a
fireworks artisan during that period getting approached by a beautiful
girl who wants him to make a rocket that will reach the moon. The
character designs look rather diverse, and the bright color colors make
this series seem like it could be a lot of fun.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Saint Beast ~Kouin Jojishi Tenshi Tan~


http://www.saintbeast.com/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


I can tell you almost immediately that I have no interest in a show
with multiple bishounen guys who are described as being strong,
beautiful, and have a love for animals. ‘Nuff said.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Kono Aozora ni Yakusoku wo


http://www.konnyaku.tv/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:15


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:15


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


A quaint looking story about a group of girls living in a dormitory
that’s getting less and less students. This is another show based off
an h-game, and although the plot doesn’t sound that interesting, all
the blue skies make me feel like this will be a nice and peaceful
summer show. Unfortunately, that alone isn’t enough to convince me to
watch something, so we’ll have to see what the first episode is like.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Wellber no Monogatari ~Sisters of Wellber~


http://www.avexmovie.jp/lineup/wellber/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:43


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:43


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Sisters of Wellber is about about a princess who is caught between two
countries on the brink of war and has to marry a prince of the opposing
side. She ends up stabbing that prince and running away, becoming a
fugitive in the process who comes under the care of a female thief. The
story seems fairly interesting, and the promo video on the website made the show look pretty fast-paced, so I’m rather interested.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica


http://www.polyphonica.tv/


Premieres April 3rd, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 28:15


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 15:15


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


On the continent of Polyphonica, there are people who can control
spirits with special music. This show is about a guy who contracts with
a strong spirit (the red-haired girl) and their subsequent love and
adventures. Some of the initial artwork shown on the website and from
the game and light novels had me pretty interested, but the character designs shown on the anime’s website were a little less than impressive. I’ll have to see how it turns out.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Nagasarete Airantou


http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/airantou/


Premieres April 4th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:20


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 12:20


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Here we have a boy who runs away from home, falls overboard from a ship
during a storm, and somehow arrives on an island populated only by
girls. Having read some of the manga, I don’t expect this show to have
much of a plot, but I think it’ll be fun show with plenty of
fanservice. Horie Yui is singing both the opening and ending songs, and
she’ll also be voicing the female lead Suzu.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
RomeoXJuliet


http://www.romejuli.jp/


Premieres April 4th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:45


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 12:45


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


You may recall me talking about this show several months ago,
but if you don’t, here’s a recap: Gonzo has given the classic Romeo and
Juliet story an update so that although the series still retains its
medieval feel, it now takes place in an aerial city. Romeo’s father is
a dictator, Juliet disguises herself to fight against him, and that’s
how this star-crossed lovers story supposedly develops. The trailer on the official site impressed me quite a bit and still does, so I’m pretty sure I’ll be watching this.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed
Kishin Taisen Gigantic Formula


http://www.gigantic-f.com


Premieres April 4th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:50


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 12:50


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This is a show taking place in a time when countries are building mecha
to fight to establish a new world order, and Japan’s mecha is piloted
by a young boy and girl. But…before
you write this off as another mecha show, I think it’s important to
note that there are fourteen legendary mecha designers working on this
show. It’ll take too long to list them all
and their past works, but it suffices to say that they are veterans of
Gundam, Macross, Evangelion, and much much more. The director, original
creator, and original character designer all also worked together in
the past on Kiddy Grade, so that’s something else noteworthy. If the
first episode showcases some good mecha action, I can definitely see
myself watching this.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Kotetsushin Jeeg


http://jeeg.tv/


Premieres April 5th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 23:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 10:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Jeeg is a sequel/spinoff of the original show from back in 1975
and takes place 50 years after that story. I gotta say that with all
the mecha shows this season, this one falls pretty low on my list since
I’ve never seen the original, and the promo video did little to change that.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Darker than BLACK -Kuro no Keiyakusha-


http://www.d-black.net/


Premieres April 5th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:25


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:25


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Darker Than BLACK is the show that will be replacing CODE GEASS in the
Thursday late-night timeslot. It is being produced by BONES and shares
much of the same production team that worked on Wolf’s Rain. Oh yea,
and did I mention that Yoko Kanno will be composing the music, the
opening song will be performed by abingdon boys school, and the ending
will be by Rie fu? The story here revolves around a guy with special
powers who works as a Contractor and is supported by an emotionless
girl and the Hell’s Gate that appears in Tokyo. They’ve released a ton
of promotional material on the official website, and it all made me quite excited about this show.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed
Koutetsu Sangokushi


http://www.koutetsu-sangokushi.jp/


Premieres April 5th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 26:15


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 13:15


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia


As the name suggests, this show takes place during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history 1,800 years ago. There’s actually some pretty
major male voice talent attached to this show, including Miyano Mamoru
(Light of Death Note, Tamaki of Ouran), Ishida Akira (Nagi of
Mai-HiME/Otome, Athrun of Gundam SEED), Koyasu Takehito (Mu La Flaga of
Gundam SEED, Fool of Kaleido Star). Still, something about this just
turns me off, so I doubt I’ll be watching it.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Kamichama Karin


http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/kamichamakarin/


Premieres April 6th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 17:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 4:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This is a series about seventh-grader who’s lost both her parents and
her beloved cat when she finds out that she can transform into a
goddess through her mother’s ring. I’ve read some of the manga, and if
that’s any indicator, then this will be a cute and amusing magical
girl-type show (maybe too loli for some people’s tastes). Nakahara Mai is voicing Karin and Sawashiro Miyuki will be voicing Kazune (figures that it would be a female voicing him).


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
sola


http://www.sola-project.com/


Premieres April 6th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 25:28


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 12:28


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


I believe the title sola is their way of romanizing the japanese word for sky, sora.
And the sky would be the key here, as this show has a boy who loves the
sky and goes out early one morning to take a picture in the park. That
is where he ends up meeting an unfamiliar girl voiced by Noto Mamiko. I’m excited to hear her in another leading female role (Nakahara Mai is in this too as the older sister of the main character), and the promo makes the show look very promising.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Shining Tears X Wind


http://shining-world.jp/tv_tearsXwind/


Premieres April 6th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This is based on the Shining Tears game from a few years ago and the
Shining Wind game that’s to be released in a May of this year. It
appears to feature characters and story parts from both games and will
have some of the original voice actors, including Hoshi Souichirou as
Xion. I haven’t played any of the Shining series, and I’ve had some
fairly bad experiences with RPG -> anime shows, so it’s likely that
I’ll stay away from this given the crowded field of other shows.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Kaze no Shoujo Emily


http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/emily/


Premieres April 7th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 7:25


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 18:25


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Based on the Emily books by author L.M. Montgomery
back in the 1920s, this show is about the life of an orphan girl living
on Prince Edward Island in Canada. I hate to be superficial, but I
really really don’t like the character designs (Emily’s forehead is
huge). I’ve also never been a fan of animes based on classic books, so
I’m pretty sure I’ll be skipping this one.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor
Seirei no Moribito


http://www.moribito.com/


Premieres April 7th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 8:06


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 19:06


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This would appear to be Production I.G’s next big project, to be directed by Kamiyama Kenji,
the director of the Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. series. It is about a
female bodyguard who has to protect a boy whose body holds the egg of a
Water Spirit. They are pursued not only by the Imperial Court but also
by beings from a parallel dimension. You can find a much more detailed
english summary on Production I.G’s own website.
I’m interested in this show mainly because the trailers have shown some
beautiful animation and great action scenes, and because I’m looking
forward to hearing an opening song by L’Arc~en~Ciel and the ending song
by Tainaka Sachi.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Blue Dragon


http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/bluedragon/


Premieres April 7th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 9:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 20:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


The blue dragon of the title is the main character’s Shadow (aka. the
monster he controls), and the story is about three friends fighting
against the guy who attacked their town. Blue Dragon is actually based
on an Xbox 360 game designed by three video game and anime legends: Sakaguchi Hironobu, Toriyama Akira, and Uematsu Nobuo.
Still, it should be noted that the anime is an adaptation of the game,
so those three might not have any direct involvement with it. I do
wish, though, that they had kept the original game cast which included Kawasumi Ayako, Inoue Marina, and Wakamoto Norio.
As it stands, this strikes me more as a show made to sell Xbox 360s and
merchandise than anything else. Oh, one last note: it was recently
announced that the popular band w-inds. will be performing the opening song.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Lovely Complex


http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/lovecom/


Premieres April 7th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 17:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 4:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia


A shoujo series about a really tall girl and a really short boy who
become known at school as a comedic duo. They help each other with
their relationships, but in the process develop feelings for each
other. The trailer shown recently at TIAF
is shot in relatively low quality, but the anime itself looks like
it’ll be visually pretty good (Toei is handling the production). The
character designs shown there remind me a little too much of One Piece,
and that may be because Maniwa Hideaki’s involvement with this.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Toward the Terra


http://www.terra-e.com/


Premieres April 7th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 18:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 5:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Toward the Terra is a remake of a 1980 movie about a universe where
humanity has environmentally destroyed Terra to the point where they
have to migrate elsewhere. A mutant race called Mu develops in a new
society where a super computer controls children’s births, and these Mu
are exiled. The title comes from the Mu’s desire to return to Terra,
and their hope lies in a special boy. You may remember that two seasons
ago, I was rather excited about a new show called Ayakashi Ayashi that was taking the Saturday 6PM slot from Blood+.
You may also recall that that show turned out to be a bust, at least
for me. Now, half a year later, I’m once again excited about a show
taking that time slot, but it’s a much more restrained excitement. The
character designs look rather retro, but the animation in the trailers
looks really good. UVERworld also sings the opening song, and the tiny
bit from the commercials is already stuck in my head…


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Lucky Star


http://www.lucky-ch.com/


Premieres April 8th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 11:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Lucky Star is a 24-episode Kyoto Animation work for spring and summer seasons to be directed by Suzumiya Haruhi director Yamamoto Hiroshi. It’s based on a humorous 4-koma, but I would assume that the episodes will have a story of some sort, much like Azumanga Daioh.
Lucky Star centers around an athletic but lazy girl named Konata who
loves anime and games - she’ll be voiced by Hirano Aya. If we want to
draw some more Suzumiya Haruhi parallels, I find it ironic - perhaps
intentional on KyoAni’s part - that Chihara Minori
is voicing the quiet girl who doesn’t show emotions. In any case, I’m
looking forward to a great comedy series by Kyoto Animation since I
have a lot of confidence that they’ll do an amazing job with whatever
they animate.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed
Bokurano


http://bokurano.jp/


Premieres April 8th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 25:30


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 12:30


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Bokurano is a psychological drama about a group of kids who get
convinced to play a game where they have to defend Earth from alien
invaders. Of course, the game ends up being all too real and the
consequences are fairly horrific. The latest promo video showed some
really good footage and I really like the Ishikawa Chiaki
(vocalist of group See-Saw) song. Still, this is being animated by
Gonzo, so I would assume that all the normal Gonzo rules apply.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Kaze no Stigma


http://pc.webnt.jp/stigma/


Premieres April 11th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Wednesdays at 27:38


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Wednesdays at 14:38


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Gonzo is also working on a show I’ve had my eye on quite a while now
called Kaze no Stigma. Almost everyone who sees the red-haired girl
above immediately thinks Shana (myself included), but from what I’ve
seen, the story is quite different. It involves a boy who didn’t have
talent for the fire arts and lost to the red-haired heroine. As a
result, she gained the family’s sword and the boy was banished. The boy
returns four years later as a master of the wind arts, but he becomes
suspected of murder. I wish there were more promotional material, but magazine spreads like this don’t hurt.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Good
Ookiku Furikabutte


http://www.oofuri.com/


Premieres April 12th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:25


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:25


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


This is based on an award-winning manga about a boy who was the ace of
his middle school baseball team mainly because it was managed by his
grandfather. He thus rises up to high school with no confidence in his
abilities but ends up on the baseball team anyway and shows the guys
that he actually does have some skills. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read of
the manga, so I might give this a look to see what the anime is like.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
Kaibutsu Oujo


http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/kaibutsu/


Premieres April 12th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:55


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:55


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


As the name suggests, Princess Resurrection is about a princess with
the power to resurrect and the boy who gets involved with her and has
to fight against the monsters that come after her. I’ll be really
honest here: the actual show doesn’t interest me as much as Kawasumi Ayako voicing the princess does, though I don’t know if I’ll watch this just because of her.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent
THE SKULL MAN


http://www.skullman.jp/


Premieres April 28th, 2007


Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:00


Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 11:00


Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo


Based on a 1970s manga that was later expanded upon by a different
author, this is a dark story about a masked anti-hero who fights evil
with his mutant powers. BONES is animating what looks to be a show with
plenty of action and violence, and popular band TOKIO
is singing the opening. I suspect that because it’s release is so late
into the month and because I’m not particularly interested, I probably
won’t watch it.


Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor






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