...what are you watching...

Kuroshitsuji: Book of the Atlantic movie! takes one of the more interesting story arcs from the manga and makes a pretty good movie out of it. The mangaka likes to frame many of her plots around known stories or pop culture. The Book of the Atlantic crosses zombies, a Dr Frankenstein-like character and the Titanic into one. The best part of the story is that Lizzie finally becomes a likable character. Ciel, Sebastian and Snake board the luxury cruise ship, Campania, to investigate a cult who can raise people from the dead. Lizzie and her family are also on board. ~8/10 rating~ for a higher than usual quality Kuroshitsuji anime episode with some fun action. I feel like I've written this before, but I don't know what the anime writers were thinking when they decided to kill Ciel off in the original anime series. It would have been nice if the tv anime, ovas and movie flowed together.

The spring anime season is usually filled with promising shows. Here are the ones that look interesting:

Gyakuten Saiban/Ace Attorney: I've never seen a courtroom anime. Might as well start here.

Boku no Hero Academia: The shounen manga is quite popular so I expect some fun & entertaining fights.

Macross Delta: Will watch one episode because it's Macross.

Kumamiko: Talking bears. This looks absolutely adorable.

Sailor Moon Crystal: is back with the S series...Uranus and Neptune...the best couple in anime, and I did always enjoy Professor Tomoe as the bad guy. I hope the production value gets a boost.

Joker Game: a spy mystery

Super Lovers: BL eye-candy

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri: From the studio that worked on Attack on Titan, comes a similar-type anime. The promo is very sleek and it's being aired on Amazon Prime, so might as well check it out.

Sakamoto Desu ga?: A comedy about the perfect student.

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge: A comedy in which the main character is the opposite of Sakamoto above.

Magi Sinbad no Bouken: Sinbad was always the more interesting character out of the rest in Magi. The OVAs were also mildly entertaining, so a season of Sinbad should be fun.

This weekend was the unofficial start to summer. Blech hot weather, insects, reruns, half-naked strangers.

Thought winter was a slow time for anime, but it looks like slim pickings for this summer's season, too. Here's a quick list of the not-so-horrible-looking anime starting in July:
Natsuyuki Rendevous: Young man falls in love with a florist who has a spirit of her dead lover hanging around.

Sword Art Online: Big budget fantasy story whose characters look a bit boring.

Chouyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi: The splash image is pretty.

La storia della Arcana Famiglia: Based on some sort of harem/action game. Again, splash image looks attractive.

...Liking FT Island's acoustic jamming session. :)

I haven't followed Eurovision, but this year's winning song is lacking interestingness.

Anyway, new summer anime:
Natsume Yuujinchou San - surprised this hasn't been licensed for DVD/Blu-ray release yet. It's fairly marketable. The manga is being sold by Viz and there's merchandising potential.

Usagi Drop - a slice-of-life story through Production I.G.
There's also a live-action movie being released soon, too. From the promo images, the production value looks like it will be on par with Kimi ni Todoke. This is about a young office worker who raises his deceased grandfather's surprise child...or something like that.

BLOOD-C - another Production I.G. anime, but I think they are relying on CLAMP and the Blood franchise to sell this one since the promo images don't have 'high quality' written on it.

No. 6 - based on a sci-fi novel with the Studio Bones.

Sacred Seven - Sunrise again with their magical boy shows.

Level E 7! The Color Rangers face the final boss, the Demon Lord.

And for upcoming anime...
Yay, more Nyanko-sensei! Natsume Yuujinchou will get a 3rd season.

And to watch this spring...?
Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san
X-men - how about the shoujo version this time around?
Gyakkyou Burai Kaiji: Hakairoku-hen
Tiger & Bunny - I'm pretty sure there's a yaoi manga with the same title that this is not based on.
Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi - the only yaoi offering this spring
C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control - interesting title
Steins; Gate
Deadman Wonderland

Denyuuden 13! Hey, a new, improved opening & ending and a nicely animated episode. The episode features Kiefer and her past which revisits why she betrayed Sion & Ryner. She encounters the heroic king, Riphal, of the pink-haired people, Gastak. It's another king willing to sacrifice anything (and kill anyone) to attain peace. He too, has underlings who are after the relics, and use underhanded techniques to help their king. And you wonder why these countries are all at war. Good episode.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 63! thought that they would end mid-way through the action, but having next week full of aftermath isn't a bad prospect. Totally enjoyed seeing this part of the manga animated.

Uraboku 12! Hotsuma waves his badass ugly sword around uselessly for half the episode. Yuki gets to see that his childhood friend is evil...dramaaatic. Is this really a 24 episode series? It'd be nice if they continue to pick up the pace as they have been doing recently. Is the lack of true BL or shoujo the reason for the quiet fandom? or is it because it is terribly cliched?


Can't say I'm jumping up for any of the new summer anime series after Hagaren finishes, but here's a list of what might appeal to me:
Kuroshitsuji 2 - the first season lacked proper writing, but maybe the new original cast and story will be better
The Legend of Legendary Heroes - sounds like a comedy.
Shiki - based on Fuyumi Ono (of Juuni Kokki)'s horror manga.

List of summer jdramas to check out:
Hotaru no Hikari 2
Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku - Matsujun and Takeuchi Yuko
Moyashimon

Refrained from d/ling the new Doctor Who episode last week to watch a few minutes ago. Good stuff...pretty redhead might get the increase the fanboy base, but miss the 10th already, even though he was understandably getting stale. The 11th Doctor looks like a young Frankenstein.

Guilty pleasure: ABDC's charity show was awesome.

Durarara 14! Celty finds out that Shinra's father was the one who separated her from her head.

Nodame Cantabile: Finale 11! the end. (of the tv episodes) Chiaki's thoughts were funny as Nodame inadvertently insults him, rejects him and sorta breaks up with him. Very nice ending. ~8/10 rating~ smooth transition from the previous season with the same likable characters progressing in their lives. The animation was the same mediocre, but not horrible production. Nodame and Chiaki are still my favorite anime couple, since they compliment each other so well and humorously.

Letter Bee 25! the end (of this season). What a terrible manga-to-anime production. The last 15 minutes were more interesting than the previous 24 episodes, and the point was only to set-up the 2nd season. We learn that Gauche became a Marauder named Noir working for Reverse, an anti-gov't org. He shoots Lag and leaves him...credits roll. ~6/10 rating~ for an anime with wasted potential. The first couple episodes set up something unique (mailman anime!) with twisted (sometimes perverted) humor, but the half-arsed writers threw in so many fillers that you forget all the interestingness. It seems like they are saving the meat of the original manga story for the next season.


Darker the Black S2 OVA 2! continues Hei and Yin's run, but now with more Yin craziness and a touch darker. It also had more fanservice...for the guys. The detail to the setting was really nice..HK?

Durarara 12! Felt like Celty, Mikado, and Harima & Seiji all had their tentative resolutions. Izaya keeps pulling strings though. Becoming a fan of Celty and the doctor, but don't see it lasting.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood 50! Mustang and his men/women continue their coup, while Ed and the others try to reach the Escaflowne-esque bearded bad guy. Good stuff. Wish the series had some hour long episodes.

So Nodame Cantabile: Finale, Kobato, Kimi ni Todoke & Tegami Bachi are ending within a week. Inuyasha ends the following week. (A slight edit as Nodame Cantabile & Tegami Bachi have dvd episodes.) Thus, another winter season ends.


Nodame Cantabile: Finale 10! Nodame runs away after her debut with Streseman. Nodame was very cute and touching in her struggle. The last tv episode also looks sweet.