Time again for the ol’ season preview, where I run down everything that looks mildly interesting next season. This time that’s actually pretty easy, considering virtually everything I’m enticed by is either a sequel or a second half. Unfortunately (well, for me anyway), that really just means the actual madness will have to wait until I watch everything else for the preview guide anyway. As usual, my preview won’t actually cover everything – it’s easy enough to check out the full list at anichart if you’re interested in checking out the other shows, if you want to for some dumb reason. Winter is looking a great deal more manageable than fall, but winters are always kind of sparse, and there’s certainly still some cartoons to look for. Let’s run ‘em down!
Also known as Love Bullet, also known as motherfuckin’ Yuri Bear Storm, also know as What’s Subtlety Pff Sounds Dumb TIME FOR LESBIANS. The promotional material for this show is complete madness, but that doesn’t matter at all – Ikuhara’s back, and I’m on board for whatever insane ride he wants to take us on. Ikuhara’s currently batting two for two on solo projects that are more poignant, insightful, and entertaining than virtually anything else out there, and it would take a whole lot more than shapeshifting lesbian bears to derail his wild talent. In fact, “shapeshifting lesbian bears” pretty much sounds like exactly the show Ikuhara was born to create. I’m excited. You excited? Sounds like we’re all excited. YURI BEAR STOOOOORM.
Here’s the PV, which feature some lovely scenery and not much else!
I’m a big fan of this new Monogatari release schedule – release them when they’re ready, make them actually feel like event television, and give us some breathing room between doses of this sometimes exhausting show. Yotsugi’s about as far from my favorite character as anyone in this show, but season two has demonstrated Monogatari can wring poignant dramas out of any of its characters, and so I’m ready to see where this one goes. The synopsis mentions a “story of farewell,” which would certainly put this in line with everything else the show has been doing recently – Season Two was all about closing the doors of adolescence one after another, and saying goodbye to Yotsugi would push us even closer to the point where everyone has grown out of this narrative. Monogatari’s overall structure is turning out to be as surprisingly intelligent as everything else about it, but it seems like the shape of the whole is finally coming into view.
Here’s the uselessly vague PV.
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders 2nd Season
Yeah, the first half had its bumps, but this is still goddamn Jojo we’re talking about. I mean, the cast member with top billing on MAL is a dog named Iggy. Either you’re with Jojo or you’re against Jojo, and you obviously know where I Stand.
Here’s the “hey, they fight a dog in the first episode” mini-PV.
My thoughts on Death Billiards were basically, “eh, that was pretty good,” and Death Parade’s placement this far up this list is really just reflective of how weak the winter season looks. That said, Death Billiards was pretty good! It was well produced, it had a solid core concept, etc. And in fact, one of the things that makes me most interested in Death Parade is how much Death Billiards wouldn’t lend itself to a full series – that is, the fact that Death Billiards was so self-contained means Death Parade will definitely have to introduce some interesting new variables, and I’m very ready to see what they come up with.
Here’s the PV.
I mean, come on. After that ridiculous finale, how could I not keep watching this show? I’m very ready for more Slaine suffering, more absurd tonal clashes, more spinning-in-a-sad-circle narrative failures. I had real hope for Aldnoah for pretty much its entire first half, and though it didn’t turn out “good,” it was still a very fun watch. Bring on the trainwreck, Aldnoah!
Here’s a sort-of-PV teaser thing.
Running into the first of the speculative picks, Assassination Classroom is on here purely because the manga seems like a crowd favorite. It’s quite possible that just means the show will turn out to be this season’s Akame ga Kill or Terraformars terrible action-fest, but hey, sometimes things also turn out to be good! Granted, the fact that the early preview material is barely animated nonsense and the director is Seiji “Nice Show Be a Shame if Something Happened to It” Kishi don’t really inspire tremendous confidence, but I’m giving it an episode anyway, so…
Here’s the almost-animated PV.
Look, I know the title and premise are ridiculous. You don’t have to tell me that. But for some reason, possibly because I’ve heard vaguely positive things about the source material, possibly because the Code Geass director is on board, possibly because my bad knee is acting up again, I’ve got the vaguest hint of a feeling that this’ll be this season’s comfort food show. The Chaika, the Witch Craft Works, the Yozakura Quartet – every season needs some endearing popcorn, and my magic dart board of show titles is telling me this time it’s gonna be Maria. Don’t hold me to that. Don’t listen to me at all, in fact. But if this show ends up being surprisingly good, you heard it here first.
Here’s the PV.
Another one I know basically nothing about, but the PV does show some promise. Nice animation, a great sense of style, a clear love of whimsy. That’s not much to go by, but down here in the speculative section, we take what we can get.
Here’s that PV.
Aaand that’s my starting list, along with the continuations of KimiUso, Shirobako, Parasyte, and Log Horizon II. What are you guys looking forward to? Any big hits I missed? Let me know, and look forward to seeing me stagger my way through basically every first episode anyway in a few weeks’ time. Hurraaay…
I didn’t realise Yurikuma Arashi was coming from the director of Utena. Now it’s really got my attention.
Yep! Few directors command more attention than friggin’ Ikuhara.
Not a fan of Durarara!!? Durarara!! season 2 is one of the things I am most excited for this winter. I’d actually say it is my second pick after Lesbian Bear Storm, which is clearly the most hype thing ever.
I just haven’t seen Durarara yet. If I had, I’m sure that’d be on my list.
Oh man, this preview format is so great. “So excited/kind of excited about this show! Here’s the piece of crap PV that will never reflect the actual show.” It would almost be tsundere if the fallibity of PVs wasn’t so true.
lesbian shapeshifting cars
Just one added letter and one letter swap! Clearly it’s a sequel! Do you have your Ikuhara Bingo card ready? Already got one for that pink-haired villain in the back. (And the lesbians free space, of course.)
Is “backgrounds that look more like theater stages” somewhere on there? That’s pretty much the only other thing we know about the show so far.
Card 1, Card 2
Both are unsatisfactory in their own ways. I may have to write a script to generate better ones, including aforementioned “theater as reality”
That’s a pretty dumb complaint. Utena and Pinguindrum where about completely different subjects and had very different characters. Hell it’s not the same story at all.
Having preferences in art is a normal thing.. You’re pretty much hating on his style and mostly on a visual level. I mean it’s okay to dislike it but saying his shows are the same is silly.
I don’t think greay’s complaining – you can make jokes about artists’ go-to style choices without considering them “faults.”
Uh, may have misjudged his tone then.
I mean so many people are dead serious about considering this argument a real fault.
Just to clarify, Bobduh got it right.
Ikuhara’s not completely my cup of tea, but I definitely recognize that he’s one of anime’s greatest directors, as well as one of its most defining, through Sailor Moon and RGU. (Just look at the following careers of the people who worked on those shows with him, and what they took from his style)
I do think Ikuhara does like exploring the same themes of human connection and dysfunctional interpretations of love, though, as well as the mechanisms of “saving” someone, especially in how it is an inherently flawed concept as a one-sided venture.
(Did not find a Shinbo bingo card, but I did find a Shaft one.)
Also be sure to play the Monogatari Drinking gam for Tsuki.
Take a drink every time:
1. The flash-text is more valuable than the dialogue
2. Isin makes a self-indulgent Multi-media reference
3. a character’s head tilts 90+ degrees
4. a pedophilia/incest joke is made.
And finally, finish your drink every time Araragi gets himself graphically dismembered.
What the hell, no love for
*screaming maw of hellbeast erupts through the floor and swallows me whole*
Assassination Classroom is about as far from grimdark self-serious action anime as you can get, so it at least won’t be the next Akame Ga Kill. My worry comes from the adaptive team, and yeah that PV looks like butt. I’m hoping it works better in the series itself but still worrying.
Death Parade looks neat. Madhouse has made some really neat anthology series before, and I’d like to think the premise can work as a Twilight Zone style series.
Durarara!!x2 should be fun. That they’re splitting it up into 3 cours is weird, but I’ll take more DRRR where I can get it.
Saenai Heroine no Sodate-kata looks…like 2015’s answer to this years Nanana’s Buried Treasure. But hey, noitaminA shows tend to surprise more often then not, so here’s hoping.
I wasn’t really on board with The Rolling Girls until I saw the latest PV. I don’t know what’s going on there, but I do know I’ll likely watch all of it.
Tokyo Ghoul √A is probably my most anticipated series other than Yuri Kuma. After the finale of the first season, I’m going to be glued to my seat seeing what happens with Kaneki now.
Yuri Kuma is definitely the most anticipated new series though. Ikuhara’s made 2 fantastic works already, and all the ridiculous promo material just makes me wonder how all this nonsense is going to fit together.
Stuff that might be a fun watch:
Yoru no Yatterman
Junketsu no Maria
Aldnoah.Zero 2 should prove to be fun if the trainwreck that was last season’s finale is anything to go by.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure about Yatterman. The cover and synopsis don’t really tell me anything beyond it not being a typical LN adaptation or whatnot – I’ll have to wait for the first episode to get an actual perspective on that one.
And you also have Shounen Hollywood S2, right ?
I wonder if I should try watching it during the Winter season.
If I can manage it! I want to watch that too, but it’ll depend on my schedule – I’m gonna try to do even more writing in the next months, and my ability to do that will depend on… well, a bunch of stuff.
Saenai Heroine is by the same author as White Album 2, and he’s on the production staff similar to how he was for WA2 as well so you know it’ll be faithful. Sounds like dross, but then again so does Inou Battle and you’re watching that.
Didn’t know that! I guess I’ll see how the first episode turns out.
I’m intrigued by that Rolling Girls PV… It had a very positive Studio Trigger type of vibe. Kind of like Kill la Kill’s over-the-top feel, mixed with Little Witch Academia art-style and FLCL/KyousouGiga zaniness. I’m not sure how to feel about it, but I’ll probably check it out now.
There’s definitely a lot of Kill la Kill in there… from the post-apocalyptic meets high school scenarios, to the giant versions of mundane objects used as weapons, to the colours, the designs… I’m intrigued, yeah.
Between Trigger, Rolling Girls, and that ridiculous panty-based MAPPA thing, we’ve been getting a lot of Gainax style recently. I’m definitely not complaining.
Heh I’ll give a try to pretty much everything on your list. Thought I herd from some that assschool was pretty bad.
Like you said Rolling girl PV looks nice, make me wonder how that turn out.
I’m too hopeful for Maria, director not only made Code Geass but also Ruvius and Planetes which were all great. Silly premises never stopped anime from being good.
Also will give a try to new Milky Holmes even though its probably gonna be a big disappointment. The first two seasons were a lot of dumb fun. Can’t believe the Milky Suicide did nothing..
Will also try Yatterman cause cover art looks stylish.
Also Kancolle and the thing with the girls eating cause twitter made me curious about these. Though I don’t expect anything.
Need to watch Durarara some day…
I keep forgetting the Geass director did all that other great stuff! Definitely hopeful for that one as well.
Funny note on “Maria the Virgin Witch”: The CW’s “Jane the Virgin” is one of my favourite shows of the fall season. Dumb title and totally ridiculous premise, but it works in practice. So definitely don’t judge something because of extraordinarily odd titles/premises.
“It’s quite possible that just means the show will turn out to be this season’s Akame ga Kill or Terraformars terrible action-fest, but hey, sometimes things also turn out to be good!” If this show turns out to be a terrible action-fest then I want to know what they did with my beloved manga, it’s a /comedic/ action-fest for one thing! (and, while Kishi is usually a bad sign, honestly the show already looks WAY BETTER than the OVA from last year so I’m still optimistic).
Let’s see, other than that, I’m also on-board for LESBIAN BEAR STORM, Drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrx2, Death Parade (actually had someone a year ago somehow cite my blog as proof it was turning into a full show, I’m fine with taking responsibility for this), maybe the Maria show, Kamisama Kiss 2, I keep meaning to watch Shonen Hollywood but just have no time, and continuing with Log Horizon, Yona, Gundam Boy Friends TRY, Sailor Moon, and I am assuming that Bahamut and Garo are still continuing regardless of what AniCharts says.
Soooooo I’m just gonna die again, I’m already so far behind most of my shows it’s pretty silly…..
I think Garo is split cour, while Bahamut is sadly gonna end in a couple weeks. ALSO THIS BELOVED MANGA OF YOURS BETTER BE GOOD.
YEAH IT’S GOOD and you can expect to see actual reviews of it soon since Viz just released the first volume! 😀
But awww, I had seen people talking about some staff person working on ep 16 of Garo so I assumed it was continuous. I’m also a bit behind Bahamut so I didn’t realize it was already wrapping up…..
Not interested in Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata? It’s by the author of White Album 2. Though personally I haven’t heard anything good about it from the Maruto fans I know, it’s still the guy who wrote *that* White Album 2.
Didn’t know that! I’ll be checking it out for the preview guide either way, so I hope it’s good!
A bit off-topic, but what the hell is with all those people who can’t write a simple number 2 for second season? Quotes, double circles, what.
Gotta stand out, I guess. This is the season of the sequel, after all.
“Lesbian Bear Storm” definitely sounds like a pick. “Assassination classroom” gets my interest but from what I’ve heard of the manga and the staff it’s sadly more than likely it’ll end up being “Agame ga Kill 2: the highschooling”. Same good vibes about “Maria the virgin witch”, and they say the manga’s really good! Here I am, still waiting for an anime show to actually get some good jokes off sexual matters without them feeling either incredibly immature, incredibly sexist, or both. Then of course we have “The Terrible Troubles and Tribulations of Slain Tryhard: 2 Troubles 2 Tribulations”. Cant’ possibly miss that.
And of course JOOOOOOJOOOOOOO. Trying to make me miss this show would be MUDA MUDA MUDA.
Oh man, an anime that actually handles sexuality with something approaching maturity? Pretty sure we only get one of those once every ten years.
And yes, I am also excited for The Sorrows of Young Troyard. At least now I understand what kind of show I’m actually getting.
Rolling Girls = Wit Studio (those Attack on Titan and Hōzuki no Reitetsu dudes). And the Silver Spoon 2 guy is directing it.
I like the tidbits of informations on that so far.
I’ve heard Wit Studio are gonna be kinda swamped this year – apparently they’re working on a few projects simultaneously. Hopefully Rolling Girls can keep up the aesthetic of that PV!
They definitely look to have a lot on their plate. Rolling Girls, one of the upcoming noitaminA shows, all of the various Attack on Titan OVAs and recap movies, and possibly AoT season 2 depending on when production for that starts.
Oh, and apparently they’re doing Seraph of the End as well. Now THAT show will be the Akame Ga Kill of its seasons when it comes out. bleh.
Shirobako is 2 cour?
BADASS
PRAISE BE TO PA WORKS.
Rolling Girls was the one I was most hyped for but the PV reminds me of Sekai Seifuku and some KLK throw in there for good measure and that made totally unhyped, will watch it though, was going to watch Assassination Classroom but last time I checked it was really bad CG so I’ll pass on that.
Also, is Death Parade even a Winter show?
Might give a try to Maria too since I’m not watching that many shows that aren’t sequels.
Aside from that, planning to watch Koufuku Graffiti, KanColle and maybe Yoru no Yatterman, along with pretty much all the sequel-shows.
I was worried Death Parade actually *wasn’t* a winter show, but its air date’s been announced now. It’s coming!
From your picks only one will be watching will be Death Parade. Happy to see we’ll both be watching. So if you do blog about it. Count me in on checking up on those write-ups.