Winter 2009 Preview

by eternal on November 30, 2008

Before we start, let me say this: there is no way I can possibly enjoy the upcoming season more than the current one, even aside from ef. Fall 2008 has been one of the best seasons I remember in quite some time, and so it would be unfair to expect the same level of quality from the upcoming Winter. However, that doesn’t mean that my hype is totally dead; I’ve got a couple things I’m looking forward to, and a few more that look promising. Either way, read on for a quick browse of what we’ll be watching in a month’s time.

Just like last time, much of my information is from the usual sources (MyAnimeList, ANN, etc), as well as the wonderful post at THAT, whom we have to thank once more for putting all of this info into one place. Check out their coverage if you want…er, a much better overall job. But don’t forget to come back here! My opinion is important, right? Right…?

…Sorry. Let’s get on with this.

Akikan!

Synopsis: The story revolves around a typical high school boy named Kakeru Daichi and the can of melon juice soda that he bought from a vending machine. The can suddenly transforms into a beautiful but standoffish girl that Kakeru nicknames “Melon,” and more “Akikan” (“empty can”) girls appear. However, Akikan girls need to be infused with carbon dioxide from kissing to survive. (MAL)

Thoughts: Mediocre harem, I suppose. I’ll check it out if I’m ever in the mood for some mediocre harem…which is far more often than it should be.

Viper’s Creed

Synopsis: The story revolves around the members of a private military company (PMC), and the uneasy tension between them and the regular military after a war that caused massive environmental destruction. (MAL)

Thoughts: It’ll either be really good or really bad. I’ll probably wait to hear what people say.

Kemono no Souja Erin

Synopsis: According to NHK web site, Uehashi Nahoko’s (the author of “Seirei no Moribito”) novel “Kemono no Soujya” will be animated. It will be aired from January 10th 2009. (MAL)

Thoughts: First reaction: 50 eps!?!?
Second reaction: I’ll probably check it out if Seirei no Moribito turns out to be as good as people say.

Genji Monogatari Sennenki

Synopsis: The work recounts the life of a son of a Japanese emperor, known to readers as Hikaru Genji, or “Shining Genji”. Neither appellation is his actual name: Genji is simply another way to read the Chinese characters for the real-life Minamoto clan, to which Genji was made to belong. For political reasons, Genji is relegated to commoner status (by being given the surname Minamoto) and begins a career as an imperial officer. The tale concentrates on Genji’s romantic life and describes the customs of the aristocratic society of the time. (Wikipedia)

Thoughts: Generally speaking, in my eyes romance = good and history = bad. I guess this one is also in the “wait and see” category.

Kurokami

Synopsis: Keita Ibuki is an independent and struggling freelance computer programmer who had a chance meeting on one night with a high Mototsumitama named Kuro. He gives her his dinner, a bowl of ramen, and tries to protect her when she is attacked in an ambush by an unknown Mototsumitama. Keita loses his entire left arm during the fight between the Mototsumitamas, but Kuro was able to save his life by exchanging the decapitated arm with her own left arm since she has enhanced healing abilities like all Mototsumitamas. This creates a contract between them, which makes her more powerful than before. However, Kuro warns Keita that they need to be together all the time in order to be at their strongest. (Wikipedia)

Thoughts: Sounds like the very definition of seinen. I generally don’t watch this stuff but I’d say it has potential.

Asu no Yoichi!

Synopsis: The titular character Yoichi decides to leave his family’s mountainside home after his father tells him there is nothing more he can learn in martial arts there. The teenaged boy ends up in a martial arts dojo in the city with four girls. (ANN)

Thoughts: Er…more typical harem. I think I’d choose Akikan over this one though.

White Album

Synopsis: Adapted from a Leaf eroge.
…Srsly, isn’t that all that matters?

Thoughts: I’m just a bit too lazy to check, but it looks like it involved Leaf, Aya Hirano and Nana Mizuki, and yuri. Is this win, or is this win?

Maria Holic

Synopsis: The story centers on a sophomore named Kanako who enrolls in all-girls school because she has a phobia of men and wants to find her destined yuri partner. She meets a captivating freshman named Mariya who fits her criteria — except her seemingly ideal mate happens to be a cross-dressing sadistic boy. (ANN)

Thoughts: Sounds interesting, looks interesting, but…traps? Then again, it sounds interesting enough to be worth watching regardless.

Ride Back

Synopsis: Ride Back tells the story of a girl and her “iron horse” robot motorcycle in 2020, a tumultuous time of anti-government student protests. (MAL)

Thoughts: Uh…I have no idea what to say about this one. Literally no idea. …At the very least, I suppose we can’t criticize it for being cliche.

Kokaku no Regios

Synopsis: Based on the Chrome Shelled Regios light novel series.
In this school fantasy story set in the distant future, creatures contaminated by pollution have overtaken the land, forcing humanity to live in isolated mobile cities called Regios. One such city named Czerni is a self-contained school in which freshman Reifon Aruseifu has just enrolled. Reifon reluctantly joins the 17th Martial Arts Studies Unit led by the third-year student Nina Antōku and embarks on a series of adventures. (from ANN)

Thoughts: Sounds relatively normal, but relatively interesting as well. I might watch it.

Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo

Synopsis: The story is set in the year 311 of the Orbital Calendar, when humanity has migrated to countless colony clusters in space. A space colony girl named Akiha Shishidō encounters a malevolent artificial intelligence named Leopard that has been installed on a colony. Akiha is joined by an Inter-Colony Police officer named Itsuki Kannagi, a taciturn young girl named Honoka Kawai, and a robot named Imoko “Imo-chan” Shishidou. (AniDB)

Thoughts: It looks like it has potential. Besides, it keeps reminding me of TokiKake.

We’ve also got a ton of sequels this season, which are listed below:

Zoku Natsume Yuujin-chou
Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
Minami-ke Okaeri
Major 5th Season
Shikabane-hime Kuro
Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season
Slayers EVOLUTION-R
Birdy the Might DECODE:02
The Tower of Druaga ~the Sword of Uruk~

Now that’s a lot of sequels; and frankly, the only ones I can really see myself watching are MariMite (whenever I finish the first three) and Minami-ke.

Anyway, it looks like a pretty ordinary season to me. There isn’t anything that I’m particularly hyped for, and thus probably won’t be blogging anything new, but I suppose you could say that I’m looking forward to Minami-ke and White Album. I’m hoping that a few more of these turn out to be better than expected as well – I’m pretty sure Index and Kannagi slipped under my radar during my last preview, but I’m enjoying both of them now, so I suppose you really never know.

That said, I should probably try to catch up with this season before worrying about the next. I think I’m still at a few episode 3s OTL.

~ ETERNAL
つづく

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Panther November 30, 2008 at 11:24 pm

Sequels. I watches. Natsume Gayjinchou, Druaga, Minami-ke. Then I catches. Viper’s Creed (test of 3 episodes), Kemono no Souja Erin (all of it, Seirei no Moribito was one of the best anime of 2007 for me), Kokaku no Regios, SoraKake, Queen’s Blade (which is not in the list) and Asu no Yoichi (another 3 episode test). Yay.

Panthers last blog post..Thy November Monthly Summary

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tflops December 1, 2008 at 2:26 am

I’d say I go harem.

tflopss last blog post..PSP-2 in Development

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Rin December 1, 2008 at 5:53 am

Some I would watch…
First, finish the fall seasons…

Rins last blog post..Hiya Tsuruya!!!

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M12 December 1, 2008 at 5:58 am

Hm, there’re some titles here I’m interested in. I’m looking forward to it!

M12s last blog post..Join the VJutsu Guild!

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animekritik December 2, 2008 at 2:14 am

Maria holic, White Album, and maybe that Ride Back (at least initially). That’s what I’ll probably be watching..

animekritiks last blog post..Yoshitoshi ABe is Rakka!!

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jenn December 3, 2008 at 9:10 am

I laughed at the above commenter’s comment on Natsume Gayjinchou. XD There’s only one trap in MariaHolic, and it’s the one *POTENTIAL SPOILER but not if they follow the manga*on that picture you have up there..heh. I’m gonna def looking out for about six at the moment, and maybe about four others. Who knows how it’ll be like when they actually start showing, though…

jenns last blog post..Epic: Winter 2008/2009 Anime Lineup (22 series)

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Fang-tan December 4, 2008 at 10:08 pm

Maria Holic for me. Everything else looks lame. Hur.

Fang-tans last blog post..Alliance of the Golden Witch

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