Josh’s Anime Blog

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino-

Starts Airing: January 7, 27:00
Station: Tokyo MX TV
Episodes: 13 + 2
Director: Hiroshi Ishiodori (Hatsumei Boy Kanipan, Jinzo Konchu Kabuto Borg VxV)
Webpage: http://www.gunslingergirl.com/

From ANN:

When the Social Welfare Agency investigates the disappearance of an operative, their inquiry leads them right into the lair of their rival, the Five Republics. The assassin Triela infiltrates the hostile organization, but her search is cut short when she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun…

Um, duh? This is one I have been looking forward to since before they even announced a sequal. I’m definitely blogging this one.

Josh’s Judgment: Will definitely blog it

H2O - Footprints in the Sand

Starts Airing: January 3, 25:20
Station: Fukui TV
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Hideki Tachibana (Episode director for Honey and Clover, R.O.D. TV)
Webpage: http://anime.webnt.jp/h2o/

From Wikipedia:

H2O’s story revolves around Takuma Hirose, a blind young male high school student, though the cause for his blindness is undetermined. After his mother died an unexpected death, it left a deep emotional scare [sic] on him, which caused him to become very lonely and reserved. Due to this, Takuma and his father move from the city out into a rural area and Takuma is enrolled into a new high school. At his new school, he meets several new girls, though three of whom he gets to know the most out of anyone else. They are, the firm and obstinate Hayami Kohinata, the kind and obliging Hinata Kagura, and the cheerful and mysterious Otoha. As Takuma interacts with these girls, his medical condition gradually begins to heal.

And another visual novel turns anime, and again an interesting sounding one. I’m a sucker for stories such as this, and given that I’ve greatly enjoyed both ef and CLANNAD so far, I’m definitely willing to give another show of this type a shot.

Josh’s Judgment: Will definitely watch it

Hatenko Yugi

Starts Airing: January 4, 26:30
Station: KBS Kyoto
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Nobuhiro Takamoto (Dragon League, Tenchi in Tokyo)
Webpage: http://hatenkouyugi.com/

From ANN:

A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to ’see the world.’ And so her journey begins, However, she won’t be doing it alone, for she befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father’s murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water, but even still, they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction — or their shared powers with magic. And so, the two reluctant allies travel from town to town, using their powers to help the helpless, while discovering their own respective places in the world.

Hmm, this one doesn’t sound too bad. I’m not sure if it sounds good enough to proclaim that I’ll watch it right now, but I’ll definitely put it on my “to consider” pile.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it

Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de

Starts Airing: January 4, 18:30
Station: Tokyo MX TV
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Susumu Kudo (Hoop Days,Koi suru Tenshi Angelique, Sakura Wars 2)
Webpage: http://kimiaru.jp/

From Anime Mikomi:

Uesagi Ren and his sister Mihato run away from home because of domestic violence. When they at last reach the city they have a hard time finding work (and money). They eventually enter the service of the Kuonji family, making a pledge of absolute loyalty. Thus Ren`s days of being a butler to the demanding Kuonji heir begins…

So this is basically Hayate the Combat Bulter, but with a girl and without combat? This is another show based off of a visual novel, but I’m less excited about this one.

This show is also known as They are my Noble Masters and nothing much, even the art, excites me. Maybe if I hear it’s good I’ll start watching it, but I don’t think I’ll spend my time on it to start with.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it if I hear good things about it

Minami-ke ~Okawari~

Starts Airing: January 6, 25:30
Station: TV Tokyo Network
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Naoto Hosoda (Shuffle!, Shuffle! Memories)
Webpage: http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/minami-ke/2/index.html

From ANN (the first series):

There are three of the Minami sisters: Haruka, Kana and Chiaki, who have an average life. The girls only have each other to depend on and help each other get through everything from love confessions to cooking.

Now, this is an interesting situation where two different studios are adapting the same series. And this doesn’t seem like an instance where one studio does the first season and another studio does the second season. The more I read, the more I get the impression that they are going to be presenting the same material. I could be wrong, but I haven’t seen anything that says for sure. I’m not sure why one would create two series that presents the same story two seasons in a row, but oh well. I’ve really liked the first series, so I’ll probably watch this one to see if it’s just as good.

Josh’s Judgment: Will definitely watch it

Noramimi

Starts Airing: January 9, 25:45
Station: CBC
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Yoshitaka Koyama (Rune Soldier)
Webpage: http://noramimi-anime.jp/start.html

From ANN:

A world where mascots aren’t just marketing tools. Families contact mascot agencies, to find a suitable one for their children. This story focuses on one such agency, which has its very own mascot: Noramimi, the syrup-stirring Kaminari Kozo (Lightning Kid).

I almost axed this as a kids show from the looks of it until I saw it aired late at night. In any case, it doesn’t sound too thrilling to me.

Josh’s Judgment: Won’t watch it

Persona -trinity soul-

Starts Airing: January 5, 22:30
Station: Tokyo MX TV
Episodes: Unknown
Director: Jun Matsumoto (Episode Director for Blood+)
Webpage: http://www.persona-ts.net/

From Wikipedia:

The stage is Ayanagi City, a city near the Japan Sea. It is a futuristic city that was built to carry out the recovery from the calamity caused by the “Apathy Syndrome” ten years previous. High school student Shin Kanzato with his little brother Jun, meet with their elder brother Ryo, who is the chief of the Ayanagi City Police, again after ten years. At that time, a series of strange incidents happen in Ayanagi City such as the crew of a submarine that suddenly disappears while in their submarine, or a spiritless symptom which disturbs the world after ten years, or the case of the inside out corpse where a student took on a cruel appearance. Ryo tracks down the organization behind the string of incidents, and having become involved in the incidents, Shin awakens the “Persona”.

OK, this may interest some, as the story doesn’t necessarily sound bad, but it isn’t the type of series that seems to interest me right now. If I hear that it’s really good, I may pick it up, but I don’t think I’ll start off watching it.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it if I hear good things about it

Porfy no Nagai Tabi

Starts Airing: January 6, 19:00
Station: BS Fuji
Episodes: 52
Director: Tomomi Mochizuki (Futatsu no Spica, Shinigami no Ballad)
Webpage: http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/porfy/

There isn’t much I can find about this series other than it’s another World Masterpiece Theater one. Eh, not that excited about it, and at 52 episodes long, I’m not sure I want to dedicate a year to watching a series which I’m not going into excited.

Josh’s Judgment: Probably Won’t Watch it

Rosario to Vampire

Starts Airing: January 3, 23:30
Station: Tokyo MX TV
Episodes: 13
Director: Takayuki Inagaki (Desert Punk, Koharu Biyori)
Webpage: http://www.rosa-vam.com/

From ANN:

Due to poor grades, Tsukune Aono, an average high school student, has been unable to get accepted into any private academy of his choice. By exceptional accident, the only school to accept him turns out to be anything but ordinary; the school is attended by youkai disguised as humans. Fearing for his life, he attempts to escape only to meet Moka Akashiya, a beautiful girl who just happens to be a vampire. Despite this, Tsukune decides to stay at the academy, hiding his human nature from students and teachers. Tsukune also discovers that when the rosary around Moka’s neck is removed, her true nature emerges.

OK, the writeup for this doesn’t sound too horrible. Kind of along the same lines of Moon Phase perhaps. However, once one goes to the website, this show appears to reveals it’s true nature: a fan service fest. When the main advertising of the show is 4 girls trying not to have their extremely short school shirts blow in the wind (with a nosebleeding guy behind them), it doesn’t take much thought to conclude that this show will probably be pretty thoughtless itself.

Josh’s Judgment: Won’t watch it

Shigofumi: ~Stories of Last Letter~

Starts Airing: January 5, 25:35
Station: Chiba TV
Episodes: 12
Director: Tatsuo Sato (Martian Successor Nadesico, Stellvia)
Webpage: http://www.shigofumi.com/

From My Anime List:

A story about a miracle, involving Fumika, a quiet but hard working girl who wears a uniform of a mail carrier, and her talkative staff and partner Mayama. The Shigofumi is a posthumous letter, the last resort of relaying a deceased person`s last message to his/her loved ones: family, friends, and significant other.

This sounds somewhat interesting. Not sure that it’s totally down my alley, but I think the story sounds unique enough (at least to me) to make it sound somewhat interesting.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it

Spice and Wolf

Starts Airing: January 8, 25:30
Station: Chiba TV
Episodes: 12
Director: Takeo Takahashi (Hit wo Nerae!, Love Love?)
Webpage: http://www.spicy-wolf.com/

From Wikipedia:

The story revolves around Craft Lawrence, a twenty-five-year-old peddler travelling from town to town selling and buying various things to make a living during a period much like Europe in the Middle Ages. His main goal in life is to gather enough money to start his own shop, and he already has been travelling for seven years while gaining experience in the trade. One night when stopped at the town of Pasroe, he finds in his wagon a 250-year-old pagan wolf-deity girl named Holo. She appears to be that of a fifteen-year-old girl, except for a wolf’s tail and ears. She introduces herself as the town’s goddess of harvest who has kept it blessed with good harvests of wheat for many years. Despite having the responsibility to watch over the town, she wants to go back to her homeland in the north called Yoitsu; she believes the people have already forsaken her anyway and that she has kept her promise to maintain the good harvests.

I’ve been bouncing back and forth on this one, but I still think it’s in the “may watch” pile. I don’t necessarily have a thing for wolf girls or fox girls or any other type of animal girl, but the plot sounds interesting.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it

True Tears

Starts Airing: January 5, 25:00
Station: TV Kanagawa
Episodes: 13
Director: Junji Nishimura (Kyo Kara Maoh!, Ranma 1/2, Samurai Deeper Kyo)
Webpage: http://www.truetears.jp/

Unfortunately, I can’t really find any synopses about this series at all. All I know is that it’s based off of yet another visual novel with 3 somewhat pretty chicks. The art isn’t exactly the best considering what I’ve come to expect for visual novel turned anime series.

I’ll put this on my “may watch” list, but I’d like to know a little bit more about it before I start watching it if I can.

Josh’s Judgment: May watch it

Yatterman

Starts Airing: January 14, 19:00
Station: Nippon TV
Episodes: 70
Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa (Original Yatterman, Speed Racer)
Webpage: http://www.ytv.co.jp/yatterman/index.html

From Wikipedia:

A mysterious gem called the “Skull Stone” is said to be able to reveal the location of the largest vein of gold in the world. This legend has entranced many people who wanted to get their hands on fame, power and wealth, including the trio of villains in this show: the “Dorombo Gang”. However, their hunt for the Skull Stone is not as easy as they imagined, mainly due to the faulty information they receive from their leader; and most of all, by a justical duo of pursuers called the “Yatterman”!

Eh, a remake of an old series, but not one I’m particular excited about.

Josh’s Judgment: Won’t watch it