Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, and I can’t be arsed writing this in December.
Kneejerk comments on anime starting in January – Go!
RIDE BACK
Maybe it’ll come out this time. I hope so, it looks like it could be awesome. I wrote about it here.
Kemono no SÅja Erin
What’s that? A 50 episode, Production IG produced fantasy show for NHK? Good, good.
Takayuki Hamana (Library Wars, Chocolate Underground) directs this adaptation of Nahoko Uehashi’s The Beast Player manga. This has the potential to be really high quality.
Genji Monogatari Sennenki
Osamu Dezaki directs a Tezuka Productions/Tokyo Movie adaptation of Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century novel, The Tale of Genji.
I think that should tick enough boxes for you to be interested in checking this out.
VIPER’S CREED
Look at that logo! Look at it! Bask in its colour gradients! It’s awesome in its late 80s, early 90s video game cool. And it should not be surprising to learn that a man who is the definition of that era’s cool mecha is the head honcho of this show – Shinji Aramaki.
Of course his directing record isn’t quite as impressive as his design pedigree, but it should be worth checking regardless (and near-veteran animator Hiroyuki Kanbe seems to be the actual director).
By the way, this appears to be the only January show that isn’t an adaptation or a sequel.
Minami-ke: Okaeri
A third season of whatever this is. Something about three sisters if I remember rightly. I’m sure it’s showed up in one of these things I’ve done before, but I can’t muster the energy to check.
Kurokami The Animation
This Korean comic book gets an anime from the director of Emma & Twelve Kingdoms. No idea what the comic is like.
Asu no Yoichi!
Hideyuki Kurata slumming it again with another cute girl manga adaptation, this time from AIC. Debuting (?) Chief Animation Director Yumiko Ishii has done some interesting shows as a KA, so it may well look nice, even if the story is empty calories.
MAJOR 5th season
Perrenial baseball show continues.
WHITE ALBUM
Disappointingly not an anime celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Beatles album or even a misjudged musical ala “Across the Universe”. No. It’s, of course, an adaptation of a moe manga. Directed by Key The Metal Idol director Hiroaki Sato.
Maria Holic
Androphobic girl joins all-girl school. Girl falls in love with classmate. Who turns out to be a cross-dressing boy. From the team who brought you Zoku Sayonara ZetsubÅ Sensei.
Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season
And the fourth season of the real thing is due too.
Shikabane Hime Kuro
Second season of this adaptation hot on the heels of the GAINAX one. Not sure on the staff of this one as the website appears to just be an image at present.
Slayers Evolution-R
More Slayers.
Birdy The Mighty DECODE: 02
More Birdy. This is a good thing.
Zoku Natsume YÅ«jin-ChÅ
More folklore tales in this sequel to this summer’s series.
Shin Hajime no Ippo
More punching.
Hetalia – Axis Powers
The trend for webcomics to be turned into anime continues. This one appears to be about anthropomorphised countries. Specifically the countries involved in World War 2. Anthropomorphised as pretty boys.
Finished rolling your eyes yet?
Akikan!
Ugly looking romance anime from Brain’s Base.
Chrome Shelled Regios
Fantasy novel adaptation directed by journeyman director Itsuro Kawasaki.