Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

And thus, another season of anime is upon us. It’s during this time I really start to get excited about the new shows and start to see which ones I’d take to from summaries, trailers, and images available. As always my sources come from the usual suspects: Pukiwiki, ANN, AniDB, AnimeSuki Forums, MOON PHASE and others. So many thanks to those sites for the abundance of information.

I’m not entirely sure how many shows I’ll be blogging this time around since he new semester has already started (even though I only have one class) and there are such things as job opportunities and the like that will require my immediate attention. So for now I’ll probably say I’ll be picking up at least 4-5 new shows (lol I’m sure you know, with me, it’ll be more) for blogging while the rest remain as strictly watching. I suppose it’ll depend on who’s doing what in the rest of the blogosphere (such as what series is getting tons of attention and which is getting very little) but I usually don’t care about such things if I really want to share my opinions on the show..

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ef - a tale of memories

Summary:

Based on the visual interactive novel by Minori, featuring character designs by Nanao Naru.

The story revolves around the protagonist Hirono Hiro, a poor high school boy who draws shoujo manga for his living. One cold Christmas night after meeting a very strange woman in a church, who tells him that he`s going to meet someone he has to meet, his bike gets stolen by another strange girl. He runs after her and finds her collapsed on the street. Her name is Miyamura Miyako and her bag got stolen by a man on a motorbike. Soon after, they start hanging out together, enjoying highschool life. Miyako falls for Hiro pretty quickly but naturally finds a rival in his childhood friend, Shindou Kei, who has been dictating Hiro`s life since ever.

Thoughts:

I think I’ve near exhausted all that I can say about this show in the previous entry about the prologue. It goes without saying that this is a top-priority show and that I’ll definitely be watching it and expressing my thoughts on each episode right here. Personally, ef - a tale of memories (along with the rest of this section) is already turning out to be more interesting and attractive than the vast majority of the offers of the past summer season and most of the spring.

My Interest Level 10/10

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Blue Drop: Tenchi-tachi no Gikyoku

Summary:

In 1995, all 800 habitants of the isolated Kamikakushi Island vanished in one night, all but a single girl who lost her memory. The cause of the disappearances was never identified. Four years later, that girl, Mari, transfers to a girl’s dormitory school, Kaihou Gakuen, leaving behind her grandmother who had been her guardian ever since the incident. There, she meets Hagino. Hagino is the school idol and completes her student council responsibilities flawlessly. The moment she touches Mari’s hand, however, Hagino freaks out, straddling atop Mari, hands around her throat. Mari is afraid of and angry at Hagino, who pretends as if nothing had happened while in front of other students, but at the same time, somehow, she is attracted to Hagino too. In reality, Hagino is actually an alien who was sent to Earth in order to reconnoitre prior to an invasion. The event on Kamikakushi Island occurred when the 200-member crew of a battleship, the Blue, whose captain was Hagino and the island’s inhabitants had killed each other. The Blue was seriously damaged and hidden. Hagino had since blended into human society and continued her reconnaissance. Within her school life, while fighting with fellow students, Mari begins to come out of her shell. Hagino has been living a double life, but her encounter with Mari makes her face human beings, and gradually she begins to have doubts about her mission. While the invasion and war draws closer unnoticed, the girls begin to understand each other.

Thoughts:

I’m really looking forward to this one. The premise sounds so interesting that my mind is continuously thinking about how everything will flow. The trailer I saw showed off some beautiful animation and music that was more than pleasant to the ears. This probably also marks the first shoujo-ai series I’ve seen since Strawberry Panic (I have read the manga before though). The series is scheduled for 13-episodes so it should be interesting to see how this original concept is executed and how well-developed the relationship between Mari and Hagino will be. Lastly, it goes without saying that I love me some yuri.

My Interest Level 10/10

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Shakugan no Shana Second

Summary:

Does this really require one?

Thoughts:

I’ve been waiting on this for quite some time now and I can’t wait for more. I hope there’s more Margery this time around though. One other thing I’ve been looking forward to is seeing the villain that wasn’t introduced during the first season. I’ve only managed to see a few images of her about a year ago (she’s around the same age, at least in appearance, as Shana it seems) but I haven’t been able to see any lately. Hell, I don’t even know her name. :/

My Interest Level 10/10

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CLANNAD

Summary:

Adaption of the renowned visual novel by Visual Art`s/Key.

Clannad is set in a high-school located in some Japanese town. Okazaki Tomoya is a third-year student who doesn`t take his studies seriously. Always late for class, he`s seen as a delinquent by the rest of his classmates who are busy preparing for their entrance examinations. Needless to say, he hasn`t too many close friends either.

Tomoya seems not to mind too - until one day he meets a girl, Furukawa Nagisa, who is left alone without friends on this school, because everybody she knew already graduated. What a clumsy girl, he thinks at first. But he can`t leave her alone and so, while helping her, he meets a few other girls from his school. Although he doesn`t care much about them at first, he soon opens his heart to them as they get to know each other better.

Thoughts:

This is another show that comes as no surprise as being a MUST-SEE for me. I’m sure a good amount of my excitement about CLANNAD has been vented out when it was first announced and made an entry about it. I loved AIR and Kanon (AIR being my favorite of the two) and so knowing that this is crafted by the same team is reassuring and knowing that KyoAni is providing the animation assures that there’s going to be some pretty damn gorgeous visuals. I’m quite sure there’s going to be a lot of other blogs covering this show and thus a lot of opinions. Let’s just hope that they’re diverse.

My Interest Level 10/10

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Gundam 00

Summary:

It is the year A.D. 2307. Fossil fuels on Earth have been depleted entirely, with mankind turning to the next available power source: solar energy. During this time, 3 orbital elevators with solar power generation systems are built, each under control by the Union (formerly United States of America), the Human Reformation League (Russia, China and India) and the AEU (Europe). However, not all countries are able to enjoy the benefits of this system, leading to widespread resentment and war. Arising out of the conflict, a mysterious non-profit military organization known as Celestial Being appears, dedicated to end all warfare using Mobile Suits called Gundam. This begins the stories of Gundam Meisters (pilots) Setsuna F. Seiei, Lockon Stratos, Allelujah Haptism and Tiera Erde as they are thrown into conflict between the 3 superpowers and the other various factions.

Thoughts:

As a Gundam fan and a mecha fan overall, I’ll be watching this without question. One might recall the initial entry I did about this when it was first announced and I pretty much confirmed that I’ll be writing about it as well. It’ll be one long and wild ride since it will clock in at 50 episodes easy though recent news says that it’ll take a break after the first 25 episodes.

My Interest Level 9/10

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Genshiken 2007

Summary:

Based on a popular comic about the Japanese otaku lifestyle, this manga follows Sasahara Kanji as he dives face first into a world of anime, manga, video games, pornographic doujinshi, and the like. Kio Shimoku pokes fun at every element of the otaku world, so sit back and enjoy the ride. This is an anime for hardcore fans, with very complicated references that will test your knowledge of all things otaku.

Thoughts:

I’ve been waiting on this for so long. After being teased by the OVAs I hoped for a second season to be announced in the near future. Well, the future is here it seems! This is one of my most favorite series in my years of watching/reading anime and manga simply because of its otaku-related issues. That’s not the only charm of the series as it is pretty slice-of-life in my opinion and always gives me a sense of being apart of the Genshiken itself and laughing at the aspects of otaku lifestyle. Definitely looking forward to see the end of this wonderful series.

My Interest Level 10/10

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Rental Magica

Summary:

The basic premise of the show is about a kid named Iba Itsuki who inherits his father’s company, called Astral. It’s business is comissioning magicians for various jobs asked of them by their clientele. The characters listed on the page correspond to the various magic fields that are shown in the show, Celtic, King Solomon (the 72 demons), Shinto, and Onmyodou.

Thoughts:

This show here really caught my eye when I first came across the thread over at the Asuki forums. I’m a fan of magic and all forms of it and the short summary that was available really managed to peak my interest. The art of the novels are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen but those aren’t really carried over to the anime it seems. That’s not a negative, for me at least, since the style the anime is using doesn’t look bad at all and the premise is more than enough to keep me hooked.

My Interest Level 9/10

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Ghost Hound

Summary:

Reality is a dream, the dreams of the night are real.

In the world of Utsushiyo (reality), the development of an electronic brain far far away and long ago allows two different worlds to overlap.

Within the last vestiges of Japan`s raw landscape, lies a small coastal town. In it live three middle school students: Komori Tarou, Ogami Makoto, and Nakajima Masayuki. Each holds within them a unique past that cannot be erased.

Once more, but by different causes, three people learn that by the extraction of one`s soul, the coming and going between Utsushiyo and Kakuriyo (hidden world) is possible. Amidst the boys` adventure in Kakuriyo, they come to understand where it is is connected to.

An eternal spiritual story is offered to the adults who possess the minds of boys.

At last, this fall, the curtain will rise!!

Thoughts:

What? Both Production I.G. and Shirow Masamune collaborating on a project once again? Both are favorites of mine and I’m glad to see that Shirow Masamune (along with Production I.G.) has spawned Ghost Hound. Very little is known about it outside of the fact that it’s a show involving supernatural horror with themes of the occult and spiritualism. It’s also described as “Spiritual Animation”. I have no idea what that fully means but I guess I’ll find out first hand come October 18th.

My Interest Level 10/10

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Kimikiss pure rouge

Summary:

In Kimi Kiss, you play as a high school boy who’s just come back from a lonely summer break. Will you end your high school career having never known a kiss? You decide to spend the new school year making sure to get some lip action. Luckily enough, when you return to school, you find yourself in the company of six hotties. The game begins with the start of the new school year and continues over one month, cumulating in a school festival. Your goal is to have one of the above girls confess her true feelings for you at the festival and give you a little smooch. The game lets you move about freely throughout the school grounds, selecting your desired location from a map of the full school. When interacting with the girls, the game uses what it refers to as “Matching Conversation,” a system where you select the topic that you think the girl is interested in discussing.

Thoughts:

Hmm. It’s a school romance. While I don’t think this will be in the same league as ef - a tale of memories or CLANNAD this season I think it will be a good watch. I initially picked this up because this is the only new show of the Fall season that Tanaka Rie is currently doing and because Nakahara Mai, Noto Mamiko, and Fukuyama Jun (Lelouch in CODE GEASS and also apparently the only male seiyuu announced for this so far) are also on board. There’s also the fact that J.C. Staff is handling the production and I’d like to see what they can do with this series in their hands.

My Interest Level 8.5/10

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Myself; Yourself

Summary:

Hidaka Sana is a 16-year-old boy who comes back to his old town from Tokyo after five years. His memories of the town do not fail him, the scenery hasn’t changed all that much. He starts attending the second year of highschool where he meets an old friend and his first love from his childhood. Life is what’s ahead of him, so he needs to jump over the gap between his memories and the reality infront of his eyes and move on.

Source

Thoughts:

I can’t help but think of ef - a tale of memories when I look at this for some reason. It’s probably because they’re both renai games with similar plots as it seems this one involves two guys instead of one male lead. Though I find it interesting that this is being released before the actual game hits Japanese shelves (in November). I love the character designs that I’ve seen so far so I can only hope everything else will be as impressive as those once it starts airing.

My Interest Level 8.5/10

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You’re Under Arrest! Full Throttle

Summary:

Ah! My Goddess creator, Fujishima Kosuke, is back yet again with the third season of Taiho Schihauzo (You’re Under Arrest). The gentle Miyuki and the wild Natsumi team up yet again to fulfill their duties as police officers in the Bokuto police station’s traffic division.

Thoughts:

I haven’t seen this on most of the lists I’ve come across so far. Are there so few YUA fans in the blogosphere? Or did it just slip by their attention? Well, whatever the case I can’t wait for this to air and to see the return of the two most lovely police officers in anime. ^__^

My Interest Level 9/10

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Dragonaut ~ The Resonance

Summary:

In the near future, space-travel technology has made massive strides, but humans still haven’t figured out how to go beyond the solar system. So when huge space dragons attack Earth, mankind faces total extinction. Luckily, the International Space Development Agency has been secretly developing bio-organic weapons called Dragonauts, and a young loner named Jin is chosen to pilot one of their latest models. As if that weren’t enough pressure, Jin’s life becomes even more complicated when he meets a mysterious girl named Toa and falls in love with her.

Thoughts:

I’m one of those nuts for space-themed stuff and even more of a sucker for romance. This promises to deliver both of those and as such I’m quite looking forward to seeing how it’s all executed. There’s also the issue of the A-class seiyuu cast that is onboard. I kid you not, the entire SOS-dan is present! That alone will probably draw a lot of viewers to this one come October 3rd.

My Interest Level 9/10

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Kodomo no Jikan

Summary:

Based on the seinen manga by Watashiya Kaworu, serialised in Comic High!. NOT related to the other Kodomo no Jikan by Goto Akira!

It`s the cute ones you`ve gotta watch out for…

23-year old school teacher Aoki Daisuke has a huge problem. One of his precocious 3rd Grade students, Kokonoe Rin, has the hots for him?! Yes, mischievous Rin has proclaimed herself to be Daisuke-sensei`s girlfriend and is now on a warpath to win him over or cause him to lose his job…whichever comes first!
Besides Rin, Daisuke`s got other problems to take care of — one of the students in his class, Mimi (one of Rin`s friends), hasn`t been attending school recently.

Thoughts:

So it seems KnJ has been getting a lot of negative feedback from what I’ve seen around the blogosphere. Well, I personally love the manga as it provides for some really good laughs from the antics of the three main girls, especially Rin. While it does contain some rather risqué scenes that’s not the sole thing it has going for it. There is a serious story behind it but it takes a while to develop. It’ll be interesting to see what some others will say about this show when it starts airing (aside from “loli loli loli”, that is)…

My Interest Level 9/10

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Kite Liberator

Summary:

In the previous series, “A KITE”, a killer, Suwa, suddenly disappears after she avenges her parents` death, and no one knows where she is.

Several years later, a figure dances airily on the dark side of a big city. She is an angel of death, killing her victim gracefully and disappearing.

Monaka is a normal high school student, though this quiet and modest life has a darker side. An angel of death is Monaka’s other persona.

Thoughts:

Ah yes, Kite. If you haven’t seen the original yet then you probably should. Well, that’s only if you like some insane violence and don’t mind a few sex scenes here and there. I’m a fan of Umetsu Yasuomi’s designs (obviously female designs) and I like Monaka’s look who I find very similar to Suwa. This one’s set to be an OVA with an unknown amount of episodes and little is known about the plot and what the content will be this time around. Nonetheless I’m excited for this and can’t wait to see it once it’s released.

My Interest Level 9/10

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Shion no Ō

Summary:

Ishiwatari Shion’s parents were slaughtered at their home when she was just four years old. The killer didn’t harm her but the shock made her lose her voice. She was then adopted by her neighbours; the Yasouka’s who raised her as their only child. With help from her new father who is a professional shogi player, she learned how to play and master shogi at an early age. Now, at the age of 11, she is taking her first steps at competing in official shogi matches in order to reach the highest ranks in the game. Things don’t go smoothly though because she begins to receive mysterious death threats as she advances through her matches in a stark reminder of her parents’ murder incident when the only clue at the scene of the crime was a shogi board with all the pieces arranged in perfect order on top.

Thoughts:

The plot for this intrigues me greatly. It’s not the usual kind of story one would come across and Shion seems to be a breath of fresh air to most common female leads today. I’ll definitely be watching this to follow Shion as she aims to find those responsible for the deaths of her parents all while battling in shogi and going through life with no voice.

My Interest Level 8/10

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Prism Ark

Summary:

The world of Prism Ark takes place in the equivalent of our world’s Crusade era in Western Europe. The geography is a little changed and there are stuff like magic and dragons.

The main players are Wind Land, Viella, and the Sablum Empire. Viella of Victaly is equal to Rome of Italy, and the Sablum Empire is equal to the Byzantine Empire. Sabus is the god of Islam and Rerihion is the god of Christianity. Like our world’s Christianity, Viella serves as the headquarters of the Pope and believers of Rerihion.

Wind Land is where the Holy Roman Empire would be. In Wind Land, it is always spring, and the greeting is “Good wind” instead of “Good morning”. Prior to the events that begin in Prism Ark, Viella has already called several crusades in the name of Rerihion to reclaim the Holy Land. However this was completely stopped after awhile and Rerihion and Sabus believers lived in peace and harmony from that day. The game begins with the King and Queen making a journey to Viella to get their one year daughter, the Princess of Wind Land, baptized. However, their escort was suddenly attacked by the Sablum Empire, who were supposed to be their good allies. At this battle was the first appearance of the Angels, a imposing being with wings and halo, whose height easily doubled men’s, and came wielding never before seen power.

Afterwards, the King, the Queen, and the Princess were all missing and were assumed either killed from the ambush, or in hiding. Outraged, the Pope immediately re-established the Crusades and ordered one to invade Sablum. From then on, Wind Land and the Sablum Empire were in war. However, this war has not ended years after years and continues on to this day, and still, there are no King or Queen ruling Wind Land…Finally getting the acceptance notice, Hyaweh travels to the Isle of Rozenberg, which is holded by the Rozenberg Family, the most powerful family in Wind Land, second to the absence Royal Family. In there is the best school for knights wannabes, privately funded by Duke Kizarov Rozenberg, the number one Knight in Wind Land. However, as it turns out, Hyaweh is actually two whole weeks late and from there on spirals his wacky journey to knighthood in the midst of a devastating war taking place, which will hit home closer than what anyone could’ve imagined.

Thoughts:

Yikes! That’s one long summary! Anyways, I’ve heard a lot of good things about the game and the promotional artwork I’ve seen looks pretty damn delicious. The character designs are also undeniably cute. I’m also told that the game features some pretty kickass action scenes so I’m hoping that a great deal of those are present in the anime.

My Interest Level 8/10

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Minami-ke

Summary:

Based on a seinen manga by Sakuraba Koharu, serialised in Young Magazine.

Minami-ke is a manga following three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki in their lives at home and school. It`s a funny series that depicts how these characters interact with each other and their classmates. It`s a story about ordinary girls and their ordinary adventures told in an extraordinary manner.

Thoughts:

I’m one of those guys who loves his slice-of-life, shoujo, comedy, and slow moving series. That said, Minami-ke is easily one of the shows that I’m looking forward to enjoying this fall. The three sisters are more than pleasing to the eyes which I’m sure is mostly due to the wonderful artwork. Seeing the sisters interact will be a treat as well, I think. I’ve sampled the manga and I’m guessing the anime will have something like two stories in one episode. This is definitely one of those shows to watch if you’re looking to enjoy yourself with some laughter and feel-good episode endings.

My Interest Level 8.5/10

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Mokke

Summary:

Based on the seinen manga by Kumakura Takatoshi, serialised in Afternoon.

Shizuru and Mizuki are sisters born in a family with spiritual abilities. While the older one, Shizuru, is able to see spirits, goblins and stuff like that, the younger one, Mizuki, has a propensity for getting possessed.

As their calm and peaceful days of youth progress, they have many encounters which lead them to respect and treasure life and all its beauties and marvels.

This is a story about the experience of youth and growing up. In one word, spiritual.

A fantastic story about two sisters. Shizuru is a high school student who can see monsters which ordinary people can’t, while her little sister, Mizuki, is easily haunted by these monsters. They are living with their grandfather’s home separately from their parents because of their abilities. The theme for each story is not horror-centric, but rather, of a heart-warming nature.

Thoughts:

After reading the synopsis I was instantly intrigued by this show. The concept of two sisters having two different yet similar supernatural abilities while trying to live an ordinary combined with the slice-of-life element is just too interesting to overlook. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes since I don’t have any idea what to expect.

My Interest Level 8/10

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Bamboo Blade

Summary:

Based on a seinen manga by Totsuka Masahiro, illustrated by Igarashi Aguri and serialised in Young Gangan.

Kojirou is the kendo instructor at Muro`e High School. He is totally broke. He has agreed to send his team to a competition against his senpai`s team. If his all female team can win the competition, he will have free meals for a year! But, the problem is that Kojirou seems unable to find five, gifted girls to form the “dream team” — and time is running out…

Thoughts:

Hmm. This one interests me a great deal because of my love for sports and girls (cute, hot, sexy, etc.). I’m interested to see where this one is going especially since it seems as if the girls aren’t into kendo at all at the beginning. I haven’t read the manga (maybe after the anime starts) but it’ll be interesting to see if these girls are naturally gifted in kendo or must slowly learn the sport or both.

My Interest Level 8/10

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Sketchbook ~full color’S~

Summary:

Sketchbook ~ Full Color’s is about

Heroine: A very quiet high-school girl. Likes: Taking a walk, cats, sketchbooks, school’s Sui-mountain, relaxing at the art, picnic, neighbourhood cats on the way to school, strange surroundings, the art room during after-school hours, senpais that are just a bit strange, really odd creative works, rainbows, fireworks, sunsets, discovering tiny things that happens to anyone, any day, drawing quickly, quickly. Lots of laughs, just a bit of heartfelt emotion…? A faint smile, nostalgia slowly taking over. A high-school girl animation you’ve never seen before.

-Summary/translation thanks to dahl_moon

Thoughts:

Hidamari Sketch sequel? Nope. Though it does share its roots in 4koma like it and others like Lucky Star. The vibes I got from the trailer are ones that I quite like. It seems like it’ll be quite slice-of-life and very soothing with some light-hearted comedy. I think is will be a good watch.

My Interest Level 8/10

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D.C. II ~Da Capo II~

Summary:

None that I could find.

Thoughts:

I think I’ll be watching this one after some thought. I haven’t really completed the first two seasons but from what I’m hearing you can jump right into this without seeing them.

My Interest Level 8/10

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Shugo Chara!

Summary:

Everybody at Seiyo Elementary thinks that stylish and super cool Hinamori Amu has it all: But nobody knows the real Amu, a shy girl who wishes she had the courage to truly be herself. Changing Amu’s life is going to take more than wishes and dreams–it’s going to take a little magic! One morning, Amu finds a surprise in her bed: three strange little eggs. Each egg contains a Guardian Character, an angel-like being who can give her the power to be someone new. With the help of her Guardian Characters, Amu is about to discover that her true self is even more amazing than she ever dreamed.

Thoughts:

It’s from Peach Pit. The same people who did Rozen Maiden and Zombie Loan. I love the former and enjoyed the later series quite a bit so naturally I’m going to be checking this one out since their name is tagged to it. Not only that, the premise does sound quite interesting and hey, it’s magical girl!

My Interest Level 7/10

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Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

Summary:

Yako’s father was murdered in a locked room. She then meets a man named Neuro Nougami who is a demon from Hell who eats “riddles.” He forces Yako to act as a detective so he can solve mysteries. Neuro longs to eat the ultimate mystery.

Thoughts:

I’ve read the first chapter of this series so I can’t really say much about it based on that one chapter. I can say that it is pretty freaky when it comes to Neuro acting up and being able to solve these mysteries just by looking around the place. This should be an interesting watch though especially with MADHOUSE handling the production.

My Interest Level 7/10

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Night Wizard -The Animation-

Summary:

The anime will talk about a transfer student named Ellis and her good friend Kureha who’s president of a run-down astronomy club. At first they seem to be getting along well, but something happens to Ellis one day on the school grounds. Kureha witnesses how Ellis’ eyes turn blue while she starts chanting some mysterious words.

Source: Anya

Thoughts:

I’m not too sure about this one yet but more than likely I’ll end up watching this because I’m a sucker for RPGs and their anime adaptations. I’ve read a bit about the game and I think it’ll have enough substance to keep me interested. The characters look rather stereotypical but that’s never really deterred me from watching a show before. The staff behind this is pretty good so hopefully this will turn out to be a good watch.

My Interest Level 6/10

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Goshuushousama Ninomiya-kun

Summary:

I don’t think it’s hard to figure out what this is about at least on the surface. I’m guessing that the meidos are taking care of the small guy there or something to that effect.

Thoughts:

I’ll probably watch this but only for the blue-haired girl since her design is the most attractive. Even so it’s most likely not going to be on my high-priority list but I suppose I do need something to pass the time with when I don’t want to use too much brain power.

My Interest Level 5/10

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So which shows can you expect me to be blogging? It will be these: ef - a tale of memories, Blue Drops: Tenchi-tachi no Gikyoku, CLANNAD, Shakugan no Shana Second, Ghost Hound, Gundam 00, Genshiken 2, Kodomo no Jikan and Dragonaut. Of course, I might do one or two more or even replace some of the others I just listed (I told you it would be more). I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. Though, I am interested in hearing what you, the readers, would like to see me blog if I haven’t already listed it here.