Springtime Anime Roundup
Ok folks, it’s time to dissect the listing for the spring season.
There are over 40 shows starting their airing over the next couple of months, so I’m going to limit this article to the stuff that looks like it could be good. This season, there’s a lot that looks good, and several that look great.
So, lets get to it.
(oh, and if some music starts playing after a few seconds, it’s from a trailer about halfway down the page. Feel free to pause it.)
I’m going to list these chronologically according to Japanland air date.
There’s a lot of stuff that I wasn’t really interested in that I didn’t include. If you’re looking for the rest, I recommend following the ADTRW sources link at the bottom of this article.
Moonlight Mile - Airdate: 3rd March
This looks like it’s going to be hard sf. If you’re looking for a comparative series, Planetes looks like a contender.
Trailer:
OP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G1_rUqSan0
ED: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul4h_zfCoOs (Yes, that’s The Pillows!)
Gurren Lagann - Airdate: 1st April
Giant mecha show. Dudes wearing sunglasses. Gainax.
Trailer:
El Cazador de la Bruja - Airdate: 2nd April
From ADTRW: “western-themed fantasy adventure thing. In a surprising twist, it’s a Bee Train show about a duo of women searching for something.” Music by Yuki Kajiura (Noir, Hacksign). Has the potential to be very mediocre, but you never can tell.
*Update*
Trailer:
Claymore - Airdate: 3rd April
Girls with very large swords. Adapted from the manga of the same name by Madhouse. Apparently, Shinsen will be subbing this.
Darker than Black - Airdate: 5th April
A Bones production with Yoko Kanno (Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne) composing.
Trailer:
Guardian of the Sacred Spirit - Airdate: 7th April
Production I.G. and the director of GiTS: Standalone Complex make a very classy looking Chinese historical fantasy. This is pretty much a guranteed winner.
Trailer:
Bokurano - Airdate: 8th April
From ADTRW: “This is a mecha show, based on a manga from the creator of Narutaru, animated by Gonzo, but the director, character designer, and music composer are all straight out of Studio Ghibli.”
Try to imagine that combination.
Trailer nicked from the website:
The Skullman - Airdate: 28th April
Frankly, this looks like it could be spectacular. Studio Bones again, it’s adapted from a manga by the creator of Kamen Rider.
Trailer:
Towards the Terra
TV adaptation of an old SF manga from the 70s. There was also a movie made in the 80s, but it’s rather difficult to get a hold of. I am hopeful. The director did some storyboards and direction for Mushishi.
Romeo X Juliet
That’s right, Romeo & Juliet: the anime. This actually does look rather promising; it is a Gonzo show, but presumably the fact that R&J has a beginning, middle and end will actually resolve Gonzo’s ability to turn what could be amazing into the mediocre. Miracles do happen.
Trailer:
Lucky Star
Kyoto Animation (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Kanon 2006) adapt a four panel highschool-girl comic. I don’t know what to expect of this, but KyoAni’s involvement may end up making it a highly entertaining series. We shall see.
Sources: ADTRW, PukiWiki, ANN.
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Nice roundup. I cant wait to see the new Bones ones.
R&J might be ok. Gonzo tend to do well when they have a concrete story (not their own) to work off. When they try to use their own original work is when it tends to be bad.