The season's pre-started! It's almost magazine time and I need notes for work anyway! So hey, why the hell not. In the next 3 months, you can look forward to:
6/2 24:30/Niconico Douga: Appleseed XIII
13 eps, Original: Masamune Shirow, Director: Takayuki Hamana (Kemono no Souja Erin, Library Wars, Moshidora), Writer: Jun'ichi Fujisaku (Real Drive, Kemono no Souja Erin, Moshidora), Animation: Jinnis Animation Studio/Production IG.
13 episodes of Shirow's specialty, cyborg cops fighting the system. Also it's 3DCG. Also it was written as a movie and split up for webcast. Also it's apparently either too hot or not hot enough for TV. Someone who cares more about lesbian oil cruises than I do will have to dive on the grenade of telling us which.
6/6 24:35/Tokai TV: Kayochu
Director/Writer: Taketo Shinkai (Poopdle) Like that other Shinkai, Taketo is an indie creator. Unlike that other Shinkai, his recent credits include a show about a farting lapdog. This man has truly learned from Hollywood; there's a token black character named Blanco of all things.
6/10 18:00/TV Tokyo: Inumaru Dash!
4 eps, Original: Koji Oishi (Maid in Penguin), Animation: Gathering
Hanamaru, you are not.
6/28: 25:29/NTV: Double J
Original: Eiji Nonaka (Cromartie),
Animation: DLE
The catch copy refers to an unfortunate gattai accident. That's probably the funniest line from this, since it's yet another harem.
7/1: 22:00/Animax: Blade
Original: Marvel Comics, Director: Mitsuyuki Masuhara (Chi's Sweet Home, Kobato), Writer: Kenta Fukusaku (We can't change the world, but we wanna build a school in Cambodia), Animation: Madhouse
That's some interesting staffing choices there.
7/1: 22:54/Kids Station: MonHun Diary: Felyne Village in Danger G
Director: Benpineko (uh, the first series), Animation: DLE
CGI cats and jokes about video games you don't play.
7/1: 22:30/AT-X: Ro-Kyu-Bu!
Original: Sag Aoyama (nothing else), Directors: Keizo Kusakawa (Nanoha A's/Strikers, Asura Cryin', Dog Days) and Taizo Yoshida (White Album S2), Writer: Michiko Ito (Ookami and her Seven Friends)
Someone's going to get banned over this.
7/2: 23:00/AT-X: God's Notepad
Original: Mel Kishida (The guy's... An author who does character designs? For the newer Atelier games? Huh?), Director: Katsushi Sakurabi (Rescue Wings, Shigofumi, Uraboku), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Bridy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: JC Staff
Bucause shut-in genius 13-year-old detectives in bear pajamas just -aren't disctinctive enough- until they drink half a case of Dr. Pepper a day. Ep 1 is a 60-minute special; no word on whether it takes the main character that long to fit through the door.
7/2: Midnight/Tokyo MX: Singing Princess: Totally Love 1000%
Original: Kanon Konozuki / Broccoli (I can't even confirm that's the right name), Director: Yu Ko (Zero's Familiar S3, Giant Killing), Writer: Tomoko Konbaru (Nana, Nodame Cantabile, Reaching You), Animation: A-1 Pictures
Well, the writer can write. The title screams pedobait, the art screams fat 15-year-old fag hag larvae bait, but the writer can write.
7/2: 26:28/MBS: Sacred Seven
Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Galaxy Angel, Michiko & Hatchin AD), Writer: Shin Yoshida (Speed Grapher, Karas, Yu-gi-oh 5D's), Animation: Sunrise
Where does this Hajime Yadate fellow find all the time to come up with so many interesting-looking concepts? Powered suits and extremely small-scale robots, and a lot of symbolic rocks.
7/3: 17:30/Tokyo MX: Nurarihyon swhatever they're up to
Escaping from Yomiuri exile. Still not all that interesting, and I don't think anything changed.
7/4: 25:30/TV Tokyo: Natsume Yujincho 3
Director: Takahiro Omori (Baccano, Drrr!, Princess Jellyfish), Write: Sadayuki Murai (Boogiepop Phantom, Kino no Tabi, Moryo no Hako), Animation: Brains Base
If you need an introduction, you should be watching S1 and S2, not reading this.
7/4: 25:45/tvk: Thief Angel Twin Angels: Heart-throbbing Paradise
Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Zero's Familiar, Hayate no Gotoku!!, Ookami and her Seven Friends), Writer: Michiko Ito (Ookami and her Seven Friends), Animation: JC Staff
Based off an adults-only game. (You have to be of legal age to play pachiko, see?)
7/4: 26:00/TV Tokyo: Yuruyuri
Original: Namori (whose Pixiv comes up before their wiki entry), Director: Masahiko Ota (Cabbage, Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe), Writer: Takashi Aoshima (Cabbage, Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe), Animation: Doga Kobo
All right, everyone who likes barely-pubescent lesbians, raise your hand!
Actually, don't.
Everyone who likes fresh produce, raise your hand!
No, wait, you probably don't wanna either.
7/5: 25:30/TV Tokyo: Kamisama Dolls
Original: Hajime Yamamura (Dude designed some Zonders. That's good enough for me.), Director: Seiji Kishi (Sunred, Angel Beats!), Writer: Makoto Uezu (Utawarerumono, Bride is a Mermaid, School Days), Animation: Brains Base
I like the font, but jesus fuck is that robot QB?
7/5: 25:30/KBS: Morita is the Quiet Type
Original: Tae Sano (Wow, this has outlived half a dozen magazines), Director: Chokko Rin (A bunch of porn games), Writer: Ryo Karasuma (this is a moe adaption why is team creepy porn all over it), Animation: Seven
After a decade of female leads who never shut up, this vehicle for a Sawako turned to 11 almost sounds appealing. Almost.
7/6: 22:54/Kids Station: Nyampire
Original: yukiusa (this), Director: Takahiro Yoshimatsu (a whole load of animation direction, including Slayers), Writer: Natsuko Takahashi (You're Under Arrest Full Throttle, Moyashimon, TM8.0, oh and a bunch of yaoi), Animation: GONZO
I don't care if it's GONZO. Any show featuring a character named the One-Eyed Dragon Masamewne, sic, I'm all over.
7/7: 24:45/Fuji TV: Usagi Drop
Original: Yumi Unita (yep this), Director: Kanta Kamei (AD for Nurarihyon S1), Writer: Taku Kishimoto (Ghibli stuff?), Animation: Production IG
A bachelor tries to parent his recently-deceased grandfather's illegitimate 6-year-old daughter after the rest of the family rejects her. This is written for women so it's full of heartwarming looks at the nature of familial love rather than ONIICHAN HELP ME WASH ~THERE~. Also it's airing in Noitamina.
7/7: 25:15/Fuji TV: No. 6
Original: Atsuko Asano (Telepathy Girl Ran), Director: Kenji Nagasaki (AD on Hanamaru Kindergarten), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Birdy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: BONES
Oh hey something other than Blade D******l will never shut up at me about. An elite boy living in a near-future model city learns the truth behind his utopia.
7/7: 25:25/MBS: Idolm@ster
Director: Atsushi Nishigori (random Gainax grunt work), Writers: Touko Machida (Sucky Star, Tears to Tiara, GA), Atsushi Nishigori, Animation: A-1 Pictures
This time, the show about girls learning to lipsync is actually about girls learning to lipsync and not lipsyncers piloting giant robots.
7/7: 25:40 MBS: BLOOD-C
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima (Invasion of the Squid Girl, Azazel, Big Windup!), Nanase Ohkawa (the writing-focused part of the CLAMP collective), Animation: Production IG
CLAMP revives Production IG's vampire series.I shouldn't have to tell you any more to get you hyped.
7/7: 25:55/TBS: Mayochiki!
Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Murder Princess OVA, Mewwuv, Sket Dance), Writer: Reiko Yoshida (Kaleido Star, Marimite, K-on!), Animation: feel.
Yotsuba called, she wants her logo design back.
Ume-tentei called, she wants her uniform design back (though it doesn't matter because they don't apply to any character with a name). The PR video STARTS with the lead walking in on a girl peeing and standing there staring. Then he gets beat up a lot.
7/7: 26:15/TV Tokyo: Bakatest S2
Oh hey another show where nothing's changed. Can't wait to translate more blackboard jokes about Gundam and Dragon Warrior.
7/8: 25:05/TeleTama: Itsuka Tenma no Kurousagi
Original: Takaya Kagami (LoLH), Director: Tenshi Yamamoto (Rainbow Drops), Writer: Shigeru Morita (individual eps of SEED, SEED DESTINY, and Geass), Animation: ZEXCS
LoLH author tries his own hand at supernatural harems. Seriously, fuck supernatural harems, especially when they're written by well-respected LN guys.
7/9: 8:30/AT-X: Cat God Pantheon
Director: Hiroaki Sakurai (Maid-sama, Les Miz, Digicharat), Writer: Touko Machida (Lucky Star, Tears to Tiara, GA), Animation: AIC Plus
If you guessed that the entire pantheon was less grinning cheshires or tuxedo-clad barons, and more 14-year-old catgirls fighting for a boy's approval, collect your prize on the way out of this trainwreck.
7/9: ???/tvk: R-15
Director: Munenori Nawa (OtoBoku, Haruka Nogizawa, kiss x sis), Writer: Sumio Uetake (Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, Kannazuki no Miko), Animation: AIC
This is Koe de Oshigoto, except rather than a schoolgirl who acts in porn it's a schoolboy who writes it. Also he knows a bunch of 'genius' girls, ranging from a math genius to a genius hacker to a genius idol (huh?) who keep getting up to sexy hijinks he needs to extract them from and then write about.
Now taking bets on whether this will be more or less deadly than the basketball one.
7/15: 25:23/TV Tokyo: Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian
Original: Gakuto Mikumo (Cold Gehenna, Rumblefish, Asura Cryin'), Director: Yasu Uemura (Gurren Lagann Rasen AD, Mahoromatic Returns AD)
Gainax adapts a gripping tale of library combat. (Hey, it worked for Bantorra!)
July: MBS/TBS: Penguin Drum
24 episodes: Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sailor Moon, Utena), Animation: Brains Base
Holy fuck, Ikuhara lives. We don't know what's going through his head except for the tagline "We share everything. My love, your sins." and a shot of a girl's room hat's extremely girly on one side and cultured on the other, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be fuck awesome.
July: Chiba TV: La croisie dans un labyrinthe etranger
Original: Hinata Takeda (Illustrator for Gosick), Director: Kenji Yasuda (AD for Boogiepop Phantom), Writer: Jun'ichi Sato (Goldfish Warning, Sailor Moon, Princess Tutu, Aria, welp this is where all the talent on the project is), Animation: Satelight
Underaged Japanese girl goes to 19th-century Paris, meets someone with a terminal case of Kanon face. This could actually manage to be charming rather than moedreck.
July: AT-X: Ma'nyu Hikencho
Original: Hideki Yamada (googling his name brings up a magazine that purports to bring you the latest in porn game reviews), Director: Hiraku Kaneko (Qwaser), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Bridy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: Hoods Entertainment
The website URL translates roughly as "I love me some titties". And that's what this is. Kunoichi breasts as far as he eye can see.
July: Tokyo MX: Ganbare! Natto-san
Animation: kachideki studio
For those of you who like your mindless flashes to be about beans, but prefer fermented soy to the all-ruling glory that is Mameshiba.
As usual, Noitamina is the easiest place to keep an eye on, but Penguin Drum is going to be a must-watch too and I have a soft spot for tiny mecha so Sacred Seven is in. And, of course, more Natsume means more Kamiya voice. Add in Gainax and CLAMP headlining projects, and it almost seems not terrible!
(Until I scroll by R-15 again.)
6/2 24:30/Niconico Douga: Appleseed XIII
13 eps, Original: Masamune Shirow, Director: Takayuki Hamana (Kemono no Souja Erin, Library Wars, Moshidora), Writer: Jun'ichi Fujisaku (Real Drive, Kemono no Souja Erin, Moshidora), Animation: Jinnis Animation Studio/Production IG.
13 episodes of Shirow's specialty, cyborg cops fighting the system. Also it's 3DCG. Also it was written as a movie and split up for webcast. Also it's apparently either too hot or not hot enough for TV. Someone who cares more about lesbian oil cruises than I do will have to dive on the grenade of telling us which.
6/6 24:35/Tokai TV: Kayochu
Director/Writer: Taketo Shinkai (Poopdle) Like that other Shinkai, Taketo is an indie creator. Unlike that other Shinkai, his recent credits include a show about a farting lapdog. This man has truly learned from Hollywood; there's a token black character named Blanco of all things.
6/10 18:00/TV Tokyo: Inumaru Dash!
4 eps, Original: Koji Oishi (Maid in Penguin), Animation: Gathering
Hanamaru, you are not.
6/28: 25:29/NTV: Double J
Original: Eiji Nonaka (Cromartie),
Animation: DLE
The catch copy refers to an unfortunate gattai accident. That's probably the funniest line from this, since it's yet another harem.
7/1: 22:00/Animax: Blade
Original: Marvel Comics, Director: Mitsuyuki Masuhara (Chi's Sweet Home, Kobato), Writer: Kenta Fukusaku (We can't change the world, but we wanna build a school in Cambodia), Animation: Madhouse
That's some interesting staffing choices there.
7/1: 22:54/Kids Station: MonHun Diary: Felyne Village in Danger G
Director: Benpineko (uh, the first series), Animation: DLE
CGI cats and jokes about video games you don't play.
7/1: 22:30/AT-X: Ro-Kyu-Bu!
Original: Sag Aoyama (nothing else), Directors: Keizo Kusakawa (Nanoha A's/Strikers, Asura Cryin', Dog Days) and Taizo Yoshida (White Album S2), Writer: Michiko Ito (Ookami and her Seven Friends)
Someone's going to get banned over this.
7/2: 23:00/AT-X: God's Notepad
Original: Mel Kishida (The guy's... An author who does character designs? For the newer Atelier games? Huh?), Director: Katsushi Sakurabi (Rescue Wings, Shigofumi, Uraboku), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Bridy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: JC Staff
Bucause shut-in genius 13-year-old detectives in bear pajamas just -aren't disctinctive enough- until they drink half a case of Dr. Pepper a day. Ep 1 is a 60-minute special; no word on whether it takes the main character that long to fit through the door.
7/2: Midnight/Tokyo MX: Singing Princess: Totally Love 1000%
Original: Kanon Konozuki / Broccoli (I can't even confirm that's the right name), Director: Yu Ko (Zero's Familiar S3, Giant Killing), Writer: Tomoko Konbaru (Nana, Nodame Cantabile, Reaching You), Animation: A-1 Pictures
Well, the writer can write. The title screams pedobait, the art screams fat 15-year-old fag hag larvae bait, but the writer can write.
7/2: 26:28/MBS: Sacred Seven
Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Galaxy Angel, Michiko & Hatchin AD), Writer: Shin Yoshida (Speed Grapher, Karas, Yu-gi-oh 5D's), Animation: Sunrise
Where does this Hajime Yadate fellow find all the time to come up with so many interesting-looking concepts? Powered suits and extremely small-scale robots, and a lot of symbolic rocks.
7/3: 17:30/Tokyo MX: Nurarihyon swhatever they're up to
Escaping from Yomiuri exile. Still not all that interesting, and I don't think anything changed.
7/4: 25:30/TV Tokyo: Natsume Yujincho 3
Director: Takahiro Omori (Baccano, Drrr!, Princess Jellyfish), Write: Sadayuki Murai (Boogiepop Phantom, Kino no Tabi, Moryo no Hako), Animation: Brains Base
If you need an introduction, you should be watching S1 and S2, not reading this.
7/4: 25:45/tvk: Thief Angel Twin Angels: Heart-throbbing Paradise
Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Zero's Familiar, Hayate no Gotoku!!, Ookami and her Seven Friends), Writer: Michiko Ito (Ookami and her Seven Friends), Animation: JC Staff
Based off an adults-only game. (You have to be of legal age to play pachiko, see?)
7/4: 26:00/TV Tokyo: Yuruyuri
Original: Namori (whose Pixiv comes up before their wiki entry), Director: Masahiko Ota (Cabbage, Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe), Writer: Takashi Aoshima (Cabbage, Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe), Animation: Doga Kobo
All right, everyone who likes barely-pubescent lesbians, raise your hand!
Actually, don't.
Everyone who likes fresh produce, raise your hand!
No, wait, you probably don't wanna either.
7/5: 25:30/TV Tokyo: Kamisama Dolls
Original: Hajime Yamamura (Dude designed some Zonders. That's good enough for me.), Director: Seiji Kishi (Sunred, Angel Beats!), Writer: Makoto Uezu (Utawarerumono, Bride is a Mermaid, School Days), Animation: Brains Base
I like the font, but jesus fuck is that robot QB?
7/5: 25:30/KBS: Morita is the Quiet Type
Original: Tae Sano (Wow, this has outlived half a dozen magazines), Director: Chokko Rin (A bunch of porn games), Writer: Ryo Karasuma (this is a moe adaption why is team creepy porn all over it), Animation: Seven
After a decade of female leads who never shut up, this vehicle for a Sawako turned to 11 almost sounds appealing. Almost.
7/6: 22:54/Kids Station: Nyampire
Original: yukiusa (this), Director: Takahiro Yoshimatsu (a whole load of animation direction, including Slayers), Writer: Natsuko Takahashi (You're Under Arrest Full Throttle, Moyashimon, TM8.0, oh and a bunch of yaoi), Animation: GONZO
I don't care if it's GONZO. Any show featuring a character named the One-Eyed Dragon Masamewne, sic, I'm all over.
7/7: 24:45/Fuji TV: Usagi Drop
Original: Yumi Unita (yep this), Director: Kanta Kamei (AD for Nurarihyon S1), Writer: Taku Kishimoto (Ghibli stuff?), Animation: Production IG
A bachelor tries to parent his recently-deceased grandfather's illegitimate 6-year-old daughter after the rest of the family rejects her. This is written for women so it's full of heartwarming looks at the nature of familial love rather than ONIICHAN HELP ME WASH ~THERE~. Also it's airing in Noitamina.
7/7: 25:15/Fuji TV: No. 6
Original: Atsuko Asano (Telepathy Girl Ran), Director: Kenji Nagasaki (AD on Hanamaru Kindergarten), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Birdy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: BONES
Oh hey something other than Blade D******l will never shut up at me about. An elite boy living in a near-future model city learns the truth behind his utopia.
7/7: 25:25/MBS: Idolm@ster
Director: Atsushi Nishigori (random Gainax grunt work), Writers: Touko Machida (Sucky Star, Tears to Tiara, GA), Atsushi Nishigori, Animation: A-1 Pictures
This time, the show about girls learning to lipsync is actually about girls learning to lipsync and not lipsyncers piloting giant robots.
7/7: 25:40 MBS: BLOOD-C
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima (Invasion of the Squid Girl, Azazel, Big Windup!), Nanase Ohkawa (the writing-focused part of the CLAMP collective), Animation: Production IG
CLAMP revives Production IG's vampire series.I shouldn't have to tell you any more to get you hyped.
7/7: 25:55/TBS: Mayochiki!
Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Murder Princess OVA, Mewwuv, Sket Dance), Writer: Reiko Yoshida (Kaleido Star, Marimite, K-on!), Animation: feel.
Yotsuba called, she wants her logo design back.
Ume-tentei called, she wants her uniform design back (though it doesn't matter because they don't apply to any character with a name). The PR video STARTS with the lead walking in on a girl peeing and standing there staring. Then he gets beat up a lot.
7/7: 26:15/TV Tokyo: Bakatest S2
Oh hey another show where nothing's changed. Can't wait to translate more blackboard jokes about Gundam and Dragon Warrior.
7/8: 25:05/TeleTama: Itsuka Tenma no Kurousagi
Original: Takaya Kagami (LoLH), Director: Tenshi Yamamoto (Rainbow Drops), Writer: Shigeru Morita (individual eps of SEED, SEED DESTINY, and Geass), Animation: ZEXCS
LoLH author tries his own hand at supernatural harems. Seriously, fuck supernatural harems, especially when they're written by well-respected LN guys.
7/9: 8:30/AT-X: Cat God Pantheon
Director: Hiroaki Sakurai (Maid-sama, Les Miz, Digicharat), Writer: Touko Machida (Lucky Star, Tears to Tiara, GA), Animation: AIC Plus
If you guessed that the entire pantheon was less grinning cheshires or tuxedo-clad barons, and more 14-year-old catgirls fighting for a boy's approval, collect your prize on the way out of this trainwreck.
7/9: ???/tvk: R-15
Director: Munenori Nawa (OtoBoku, Haruka Nogizawa, kiss x sis), Writer: Sumio Uetake (Kyoshiro to Towa no Sora, Kannazuki no Miko), Animation: AIC
This is Koe de Oshigoto, except rather than a schoolgirl who acts in porn it's a schoolboy who writes it. Also he knows a bunch of 'genius' girls, ranging from a math genius to a genius hacker to a genius idol (huh?) who keep getting up to sexy hijinks he needs to extract them from and then write about.
Now taking bets on whether this will be more or less deadly than the basketball one.
7/15: 25:23/TV Tokyo: Bibliotheca Mystica de Dantalian
Original: Gakuto Mikumo (Cold Gehenna, Rumblefish, Asura Cryin'), Director: Yasu Uemura (Gurren Lagann Rasen AD, Mahoromatic Returns AD)
Gainax adapts a gripping tale of library combat. (Hey, it worked for Bantorra!)
July: MBS/TBS: Penguin Drum
24 episodes: Director: Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sailor Moon, Utena), Animation: Brains Base
Holy fuck, Ikuhara lives. We don't know what's going through his head except for the tagline "We share everything. My love, your sins." and a shot of a girl's room hat's extremely girly on one side and cultured on the other, but it's pretty much guaranteed to be fuck awesome.
July: Chiba TV: La croisie dans un labyrinthe etranger
Original: Hinata Takeda (Illustrator for Gosick), Director: Kenji Yasuda (AD for Boogiepop Phantom), Writer: Jun'ichi Sato (Goldfish Warning, Sailor Moon, Princess Tutu, Aria, welp this is where all the talent on the project is), Animation: Satelight
Underaged Japanese girl goes to 19th-century Paris, meets someone with a terminal case of Kanon face. This could actually manage to be charming rather than moedreck.
July: AT-X: Ma'nyu Hikencho
Original: Hideki Yamada (googling his name brings up a magazine that purports to bring you the latest in porn game reviews), Director: Hiraku Kaneko (Qwaser), Writer: Seishi Minakami (G-on Riders, Bridy Decode:02, Occult Academy), Animation: Hoods Entertainment
The website URL translates roughly as "I love me some titties". And that's what this is. Kunoichi breasts as far as he eye can see.
July: Tokyo MX: Ganbare! Natto-san
Animation: kachideki studio
For those of you who like your mindless flashes to be about beans, but prefer fermented soy to the all-ruling glory that is Mameshiba.
As usual, Noitamina is the easiest place to keep an eye on, but Penguin Drum is going to be a must-watch too and I have a soft spot for tiny mecha so Sacred Seven is in. And, of course, more Natsume means more Kamiya voice. Add in Gainax and CLAMP headlining projects, and it almost seems not terrible!
(Until I scroll by R-15 again.)
