It’s been nearly three years since Kita ze Inbou! was born. I still find it hard to believe we’ve made it so far. On top of that even though we lost one member along the way we gained three more companions. Thankfully we all have our own unique tastes when it comes to anime, manga, and other things so you’ll likely never see the same opinion repeated where it counts (our second annual awards is a perfect example). We’d like to continue providing such content for as long as we can.

That said, we are officially moving to our own server! Kitazeinbou.com has been in planning for the past few months and is now up and running. We have a brand new theme to show off so do give us your opinions on it (over there and here). Along with the new theme we now have a new layout for posts and I do hope that it is received well, especially since we’ve had questions in the past before about having clickable images that enlarge to their original sizes. Of course we have a new banner incoming from none other than Youko. There may be even a few more coming from elsewhere in the future!

Again I’d like to thank all of our readers, old and new who have stuck with us up till now. I can only hope that you continue to follow us from now until whenever time ends (or restarts). Huge thanks to Maestro who gave us our start in the blogosphere, our affiliates, and, of course, you, our readers. I can never stop thanking you all because with you, whether you comment or not, we’d just be talking to ourselves. That said, see you on the other side~

Please remember to update your bookmarks to the new site! Tell anyone else who frequents here too as well!

It feels like the year just started and yet we’re already so close to the Spring season for anime this year. While we say good bye to some anime we’ve been following over the months such as Clannad and Gundam 00, we’ll soon be saying hello to much anticipated titles such as the new Fullmetal Alchemist series and many others. With Spring anime, there’s always a plethora of titles to choose from and this year is no different. Don’t know what’s coming or what to watch? No problem. The KzI staff and I are here to guide you through each show to help you decide what’s hot and what’s not. Take note that not every show airing in Spring is on the list we’ve put together and that we’ve excluded most of the kiddy stuff. The following shows have been arranged by airdate so you can look out what will be hitting the interwebz first.

Things have been hectic for me over the past year. Working in a financial institution is a lot more demanding than I had initially expected which led to me falling behind with many of the shows I’ve been following as well as blogging. I really like blogging and sharing my thoughts and reading the thoughts of others here whether I agree with them or not. That being said, I’ve had to kill-off my [bad] habit of blogging more than I can handle. With work, numerous social events, podcasting, and other various things I’ve come to the conclusion that I will only do 3-4 shows per season and never exceed that number. Yes, that includes shows that carry over into other seasons. This is something I am strictly enforcing on myself, especially going into the new version of KZI. Given that I want to continue blogging for as long as KZI exists, I believe this is for the better. That and it will eliminate all of the “Leon never finishes _” jokes among the staff. Anyway, enough holding up the preview. Let me just say that I’m really looking forward to the spring season and the many diverse shows!

Sengoku Basara ANN Encyclopedia | 戦国BASARA Genres: Action, historical Airdate: April 1st OP: “JAP” by Abingdon Boys School ED: “Break & Peace” by Dustz Production: Production I.G Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: Oh snap! The age of Warring Countries? Aside from the fact that I totally ripped that last sentence from elsewhere, I’m pretty interested in Sengoku Basara. I’ve only heard a little about the game and manga but nothing significant so I’ll be going into it with a clean slate. So far the character designs are looking pretty good (Kasuga is particularly noteworthy) as well. It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out, especially with Production I.G. involved in its production.

Blade: Devil Kings. Maybe this name can be more familiar among those who bought the game back in the 2005. While the game was nothing remarkable, the localization was god awful compared to the original. That being said, from the promos this one seems very cool and I already listened to ABS’s JAP, the opening, and it’s pretty awesome. I’m definitely checking this one out.

Gene: This probably would have been more appealing to me if it stood next to a more realistic theme instead of this crazy, elemental fantasy stuff. I mean it’s not something I want to see when there’s a historical aspect involved. Don’t get me wrong. Rurouni Kenshin is one of my favorites. But looking at the tv spots, I can tell the fights here are just trying to be as flashy and cool as possible. Looking forward to the OP song though.

Basquash! ANN Encyclopedia | バスカッシュ！ Genres: Sports, mecha Airdate: April 2nd OP: “nO limiT” by Eclipse ED: “free” by Yamada Yu Production: Satelight Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: I didn’t know what to think about this when I first saw it. You have to admit, basketball and mecha is an odd combination. It didn’t help matters either when I saw that Satelight was heading the production. Given that I really love both mecha and basketball and think Satelight is a pretty good animation company, I started to warm up to the idea. I was really surprised at the CM that showed up a little while ago as well. The animation in it was slick and the quality of the brief mecha sequences seemed to be almost on-par with Macross FRONTIER. I’m going to keep my eyes open for this one in April.

Youko: Basquash… why do I think of a zucchini? Anyway… it’s not something I’d be looking forward to at first sight… but a good bunch of the Kannagi all-star cast is in this (the main ones, anyway) so I have some priority to see this whenever I can. Of course, it could always result in the Dragonaut route, but at least this one will be very climatic, yes? Actually, that’s what it supposedly will be. After seeing the preview for it, it looks ridiculously awesome in so many ways. The presentation and animation looks really nice and smooth. Here’s to this turning out to be one of the best Spring has to offer.

Blade: Okay, I may be a sucker for sports anime, albeit I wasn’t happy overall after sitting through 128 episodes of Prince of Tennis. This one, however, looks like a fresh idea. Mecha sports? Seems crazy enough to work. Another sleek animation from Satelite so I’m definitely looking foward to this one. Hopefully it won’t have the same fate of Birdy and Mighty and disappear in obscureness…

Gene: So mecha basketball animu? I’ve heard of weirder.. actually I’ll have to get back to you on that. But honestly, this sounds plain stupid. But don’t take my word on it; this could be anime of the year material for all we know. Well Satelight is in charge of this so at least the mecha sequences should be awesome. And at the helm of the OP, there’s the newly formed super band Eclipse. Eclipse consists of the three seiyuu singers Tomatsu Haruka, Nakajima Megumi, and Hayami Saori. The most interesting aspect of this anime for me, I can’t wait to hear how all three utahime will perform.

K-ON! ANN Encyclopedia | けいおん Genres: Comedy Airdate: April 2nd OP: “Cagayake! GIRLS” by Toyosaki Aki, Hisaka Yoko, Satou Satomi, Kotobuki Minako ED: “Don’t say ”lazy”” by Toyosaki Aki, Hisaka Yoko, Satou Satomi, Kotobuki Minako Production: Kyoto Animation Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: My first thought when seeing the promo pic, “Hmm. She’s pretty cute.” Then I saw that Kyoto Animation was doing it and thought, “Ho-oh, what’s this? Perhaps another gold mine like Lucky Star?” Whatever it ends up being I’m going to be there for the ride. It’s hard to pass up watching girls who want to save their school’s music club and yet can’t play instruments or even read music. That’s some hilarious stuff right there from the very start.

Youko: I’ll admit, this screamed A-1 Pictures to me the first time I saw the promo image. Being a series pertaining to music, I assumed Yamakan would be the orchestrator. It made perfect sense to me and it still does. Alas, KyoAni is the true animation producer, so either way I still look forward to this. Now that I think about it, the character design for Yui looks an awful lot like Tsukasa. The shading kinda tells me it’s KyoAni too… This is the most anticipated spring show for me. I’m not familiar with any of the seiyuu, but that won’t stop me from eventually liking them like I did for Lucky Star.

Blade: As the ONLY guy who doesn’t love KyoAni with a passion, I think I’ll let this one pass me by, that is if it really as good as it is. I saw Haruhi after people told me it was “the best anime ever” and it was far from the truth, and while Lucky Star was funny, it wasn’t hilarious. I’m not saying this one is going to suck or anything, but I’ll hold my bets this time around.

Gene: I know it’s not Haruhi 2, but hey this looks pretty awesome and at least KyoAni gave us something this Spring. For me, this feels like a mix between Haruhi and Lucky Star in terms of setting and style so this is definitely something to check out if you’re a fan of either one.

2Shea: I’ll definitely be adding K-On to my watch list this spring. KyoAni never lets me down, and the premise behind this seems quite interesting. I am not familiar with the 4-koma that is based upon, but I can see this being the sleeper hit of the spring if done correctly.

Pandora Hearts ANN Encyclopedia | パンドラハーツ Genres: Fantasy, action Airdate: April 2nd OP: “Parallel Hearts” by FictionJunction ED: “Maze” by savage genius Production: Xebec Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: Dear lord I think I just had an audiorgasm! FictionJunction is handling the opening theme, savage genius on the ending theme, and Kajiura Yuki composing the soundtrack? That is already a huge reason for me to be watching aside from the plot, characters, and seiyuu cast. Given all that it has going for it, here’s to hoping it becomes one of the highlights of the spring season.

Youko: I know absolutely nothing about this show, but the staff looks really superb. It’s been a while since I last heard Kajiura Yuki’s wonderful music. The cast is not too shabby either so hopefully this will turn out decent.

Blade: Hmmm… This one can go either way. I am not very knowledgable when it comes to Pandora Hearts, but if my expectations are low, that means I can have a nice surprise… Right?

Gene: Like Youko, I have no idea what this is. But if Kajiura Yuki is involved, then it’s probably going to sound great. Pandora Hearts doesn’t look like something I’d want to watch so the only thing I’ll be checking out from this is the OST.

2Shea: Once again, like those above me, I know nothing about this series haha. It does look great though, and as they have said, the music alone seems to be a reason to watch this one. I may not complete this series, but I will definitely give it a chance to prove itself.

Queen’s Blade -Rurō no Senshi- ANN Encyclopedia | クイーンズブレイド 流浪の戦士 Genres: Action Airdate: April 2nd OP: “Get the door” by Oohashi Rie ED: “Omoide to Yakusoku” by Kawasumi Ayako, Noto Mamiko, Hirano Aya Production: ARMS Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: BOOBLES!. Will I be watching? Hell yeah! I wouldn’t give up the chance to see hot chicks dueling to the death even if the zombie apocalypse came forth on the day it aired! That said the seiyuu cast is pretty stocked full of huge names. Tanaka Rie (<3), Hirano Aya, Noto Mamiko, Goto Yuko, and Kugimiya Rie are all in here. Normally I would blog a show like this but given what I said in the opening, I can’t be careless with what I choose. It probably won’t turn out to be among the best of the season offerings but who knows for sure. What I DO know is that we get to see amazing BOOBIE physics!

Blade: Oh, no! No no no! I have fallen for the trap with To Love-Ru and there is no way I’m planning to repeat that mistake yet again. That being said, it may not turn that bad, I remember people thinking Kamen no Maid Guy will turn in a disaster but honestly it was my favorite comedy of yesteryear, so who knows? I can’t believe I made it this far without saying boobs… AW CRAP!

Gene: Looks like a show concentrated heavily on fanservice. They’re pretty annoying but I guess every season needs at least one of these. Besides all the tits, the only thing that caught my eye was the seiyuu cast. Lots of big names there on the list, but still not enough to get me interested. Though if I start to hear good things, I might give the first episode a shot.

2Shea: This is one I have been looking forward to since the fall. I actually thought it was going to be airing in this winter season, so I was a bit disappointed when it didn’t. Besides the obvious draw, i.e. big bewbs, the fighting promises to be great in this series. I really think that will be it’s biggest draw, and that is why I’ll be giving it a chance this spring.

Phantom ~Requiem for the Phantom~ ANN Encyclopedia | テレビ東京・あにてれ Phantom Genres: Mystery Airdate: April 2nd OP: “Karma” by KOKIA ED: “Gates of Hell” by ALI PROJECT Production: Bee Train Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: Ah, Bee Train. While I dislike their handling of Tsubasa I love their work on .hack and El Cazador/other girls-with-guns series. I’ll be checking this out since I find the premise to be interesting. I’m guessing I can expect some romance between the two main characters (based on the promo image) and decent gunfights. Can’t wait to hear the new ALI PROJECT song as well.

Blade: Can someone please tell me how does Ali Project manages to release 7 million anime songs in one year?! Regardless, this look like an adult version of El Cazador so I may give it a look. It’s Bee Train so I hope it’s good!

Gene: Ali Project actually releases the same song each time, but with different lyrics.

Hayate no Gotoku!! ANN Encyclopedia | ハヤテのごとく!! Genres: Comedy Airdate: April 3rd OP: “Wonder Wind” by ELISA ED: “Honjitsu, Mankai Watashi Iro!” by Itou Shizuka, Nakao Eri, Yahagi Sayuri, Asano Masumi Production: J.C. Staff Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: Heh, I never finished watching or blogging the first season. I’m not sure why since I really like the manga. Well, once I get done with the first season I’ll be watching this second season. Though I can’t be sure when that will be exactly.

Blade: I never watched the first season so I’ll have to pass on that one.

Gene: I kept up with the first twenty or so episodes of the first season when it aired. I really liked it when I first started the show. Great cast, good humor. Then as it went a long, I noticed this wasn’t going anywhere. The humor started to turn stale and became more about LOL REFERENCES and it just wasn’t enjoyable for me anymore. Of course, I came back for that Hinagiku episode. Now that was good. But yeah, it’s safe to say I won’t be watching this season. Unless they animate that Hinagiku arc. And no, I don’t read the manga, I read those chapters just for Hinagiku because she’s awesome. But even she couldn’t save this series for me.

Slap Up Party -Arad Senki- ANN Encyclopedia | スラップアップパーティー -アラド戦記- Genres: Adventure, fantasy Airdate: April 3rd OP: - ED: - Production: GONZO Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: Haha, what the hell is this? This is one of the few shows that came to my attention at the last minute and it based off of the promo image, it looks hilarious. Seeing that GONZO is doing this and given the source material, I can’t help but think this is their next “Druaga”. It’ll probably be like the first episode of Druaga, except all the way through. Maybe. I love to laugh so I’ll be checking it out.

Blade: To keep with the whole “Druaga” thing Leon started, I am watching the newest season right now and so far I think it’s the best thing that Gonzo released in a LONG time, and it doesn’t take a lot to top Dragonaut or Rosario+Vampire. If it keeps the same craziness of Druaga it might be a good show, but I just hope they don’t take it too far.

Gene: I’ll pass. I’m watching too many GONZO shows this season already.

Gokujou!! Mecha Mote Iinchou ANN Encyclopedia | 極上!!めちゃモテ委員長 Genres: Comedy Airdate: April 4th OP: - ED: - Production: - Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: I remember seeing the promo image and summary for Shugo Chara and raising an inquisitive eyebrow. Yeah, it seemed to be for girls/kids but when I actually picked it up I found it to be quite enjoyable. The girl, Mimi, is cute enough and it is also a comedy. If Shugo Chara was any indication, this too can be surprisingly good come next month.

Blade: Well, you know, when Shugo Chara came out, I disregarded it as a very lame attempt to cash in on Card Captor Sakura and its brethern, but it was actually a lot better than I thought, probably the biggest surprise. That being said, this one looks similar in design, but who knows how this will turn out.

Gene: Under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be here. But Leon begged me to put this on the Spring Preview.

Valkyria Chronicles ANN Encyclopedia | 戦場のヴァルキュリア -Gallian Chronicles- Genres: Fantasy Airdate: April 4th OP: “Ashita e no Kizuna” by HIMEKA ED: “Ano Kaze ni Notte” by pe’zmoku Production: A-1 Pictures Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: Ah yes, Valkyria Chronicles. Easily one of my most anticipated games of last year (which I have to play&complete ASAP), I can say that it applies to the anime adaptation as well. Its annoucement was surprising to me though since the game hasn’t even been out for a year in Japan (as of this writing anyway). So I’ve been wondering for a while as to what they are going to cover. The main story of the game? Perhaps the anime branches away from the game? While the whole thing makes me scratch my head for a bit I am still quite excited about it all. Bring on Selvaria, Alicia, Rosie, and more!

Youko: A-1 has been my new buddy fairly recently so I have high hopes they do a tremendously good job on this adaptation. I myself haven’t played the game besides the demo, but I’m still looking forward to this.

Blade: I have to be honest, I should have played this one. I’m actually playing Eternal Sonata on the PS3, but I digress. This one looks like a “by the book” adaptation of the game, which isn’t a bad thing as long as it’s entertaining. Tales of the Abyss did a nice job doing that. One thing though… pe’zmoku? Really? Well to their credit, their other songs aren’t as boring as Gallop but still I hope the song will be good.

Gene: Having played the video game myself, I can say that I’m really looking forward to the anime adaption. Any PS3 owner should check the demo out on the PS Store. It’s a strategy game so I’m interested in how A-1 will approach animating all the battles. One thing I’ve noticed from the early screens is that the anime tries to retain the artistic style of the game with a bit of pastel shading. Not only will this please original fans, but it also gives the anime a more distinct look. The biggest thing on my mind right now is which characters they’ll bring in from the huge roster of over 50 recruitable characters. I’ll be looking out for Jane and a few other favorites.

2Shea: I never got to play this game, except for the demo, but the premise and art style always stood out to me. I know they’ve taken a bit away from the original style, in favor of it fitting the more generic anime look; but it still looks pretty good in my opinion. I will be giving this series a shot, and hopefully it will turn out nicely. If it’s good enough, I may even consider picking up the game.

Cross Game ANN Encyclopedia | クロスゲーム Genres: Sports, romance, comedy Airdate: April 5th OP: “Summer Rain” by Kobukuro ED: “Koikogare te Mita Yume” by Ayaka Production: Synergy SP Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: I’ve talked about this endlessly on Otaku Inbou and there’s really little left to say here about it. I’m looking forward to seeing how the animation turns out and especially the handling of Mitsuru Adachi’s brand of humor, especially the stuff that breaks the fourth wall.

Blade: A baseball anime? I am probably going to watch it. Major was great until it started declining, One Outs is decent and Ookiku Furikabutte is exellent, so I wonder how this one will be place among those.

Gene: Checking this out to see what the hell Leon’s been rambling about. I’ve never been a fan of baseball, but hey Eyeshield 21 gave American football an exciting look, maybe this can do the same for baseball.

Dragon Ball Kai ANN Encyclopedia | ドラゴンボール改 Genres: Action, fantasy, science fiction Airdate: April 5th OP: - ED: - Production: Toei Animation Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: Who can turn down HD Dragon Ball Z with tons of stuff rerecorded? Only haters! I really enjoyed watching DBZ during my junior-to-high school years and this anniversary project is looking to assault me with nostalgia. Of course I’ll be watching. I’m also curious as to how they’re going to make it 100+ episodes instead of the 290+ episodes like the original. Eh, doesn’t matter. It’ll still be airing for at least two years. It’s time to Fly Away!

Youko: I never brought myself to watch every single episode of DBZ before, so with Kai, I think this would be a lot more satisfying with the 100-ish episode count. Plus, with rerecorded music, sound, and voices, this is probably one of the biggest anniversary projects ever, if not the biggest.

Blade: Cha-La, Head Cha-La. Dragon Ball Z. While it’s not a masterpiece when it comes to storytelling, it’s still very fun for what it was. I like the idea they are going to sum the show in a 100 episodes, which means Cell’s transformation won’t last for a full episode and Planet Namek’s destruction will actually last… 4 MINUTES! I’m not going to blog it probably, but I’d be happy to see how this one turns out!

Gene: Man, I feel bad for all the people who bought those remastered DBZ boxsets Funimation just put out because this shit is finally being released filler free. Guess we’ll being seeing another batch of remastered boxsets after this.

2Shea: Ahh good ol’ DragonBall. I can’t ever get enough. I’m a major addict to this series, and have been since I first saw it over 10 years ago. This new remastering proves to provide some amazing quality, not only in the visual area, but with re-recorded music and vocal tracks. I’m very pleased to hear all the original cast returing (except Tien of course, who’s seiyuu sadly passed away a while back). I have very high hopes for this, so I hope it can fullfill them!

Fullmetal Alchemist ANN Encyclopedia | 鋼の錬金術師 Genres: Action, fantasy Airdate: April 5th OP: “again” by YUI ED: “Uso” by SID Production: BONES Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: I’ll say this right now: I LOVES ME SOME FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. Then again if you listen to the podcasts, you would have known this already. I loved the first series and enjoyed the hell out of the movie. It wasn’t until after those that I familiarized myself with the manga and thought “Damn it would’ve been awesome if these scenes were animated!” Well, that dream has come true and is, as of this writing, about two weeks away. With new characters abound, interesting seiyuu changes, and all the teaser-commercials that have been airing lately I can’t help but me excited for the return of FMA!

Youko: The original FMA anime was immensely popular and a great story, mostly until around the end, and the movie was groan-inducing. But now with a supposedly more canon storyline, expectations will potentially be met. How BONES handles this one will be intriguing. There’s also a new cast as well, so I’m looking forward to that too.

Blade: I think this is the only show here that EVERYONE in the KZI crew wants to see. It’s FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST. I liked the original show, even the second half, but I thought the movie was a complete waste of time and was a complete bomb. Hearing that this adaptation will be truer to the manga, of course everyone’s hyped, but I don’t want to be TOO hyped. After all it is a new version of a loved anime and most of the cast is different, so maybe the change can be too much, but it has been a good change thus far. That and it’s interesting to hear that YUI will be doing the opening theme since “Rolling Star” was my least favorite Bleach OP, but she can always surprise me.

Gene: Being a manga reader myself, this is easily one of my most anticipated show this Spring for me and many others. I know some people didn’t like how BONES handled the end of the original anime adaption (I personally liked it), so hopefully they’ll be able to enjoy this “remake” that will feature a new storyline, new characters, and new twists and turns. The manga is still running actually so whether or not we’ll get another BONES end is up in the air. But I’d say it’s not likely as I’m expecting things to wrap up within this year.

2Shea: FMA, there aren’t many anime fans out there who can say they aren’t a fan of this series in some way. As soon as I heard they would be doing this new series, following the manga story, I became absolutely extatic. The first series was great, but knowing how the manga was, I always sensed something was lacking. I hope this revisit will not dissapoint, but to be honest I’m already pretty sure it won’t.

Guin Saga ANN Encyclopedia | グイン・サーガ Genres: Fantasy, adventure Airdate: April 5th OP: “Guin no Theme” by Uematsu Nobuo ED: “Saga ~ This is my road” by Kanon Production: Satelight Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: I think it’s a well known fact by now that I love JRPGs. Which, when it comes to anime, translates to adventures, journeys, and good stuff like that (read: Druaga, Moribito, and others). Guin Saga give sme that feeling almost instantly. Hell, it even has one of the greatest composers ever, Uematsu Nobou, crafting the OP AND the soundtrack. That is massive amounts of awesome right there if you ask me. The story so far hasn’t been expanded on but it sounds interesting enough. Either way, you can’t go wrong with a guy wearing a leopard mask!

Blade: As much as we lack a good action anime, I am not exactly excited about it, Uematsu Nobou notewhistanding. I am going to maybe watch the first episode or something, but I am not thinking it’ll turn out as the greatest show this season, and if it will, well, joke on me.

Hanasakeru Seishounen ANN Encyclopedia | 花咲ける青少年 Genres: Romance Airdate: April 5th OP: “Change” by J-Min ED: “One” by J-Min Production: Studio Perriot Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: Hmm. Should I call this Hana-Sei for short? Aside from the that and the main girl’s long name (Kajika Louisa Kugami Burnsworth), this one has caught my attention for reasons I’m not sure about yet. It could be because of the awesome cast or the combination of reverse harem + political intrigue (the latter which I knew of first). Or is it jsut because of the pretty girl? It’s also interesting to see Studio Pierrot handling this as well. All things considered, I’ll be checking it out.

Youko: What surprises me the most about this is that Pierrot’s actually handling a new anime! What, it’s not typical light-colored shounen slashing and beating up bad guys? Well you know what, that might actually not be a bad thing this time. Honestly, they could really use help, but I wonder if this show will help the studio.

Blade: I’ll give Studio Pierrot credit, it’s been a while since I have seen an original show they did like Great Teacher Onizuka or Yu Yu Hakusho. It also seem different than what they usually do, but then again, it doesn’t interest me that much. Maybe it’ll be good, but I’ll probably catch up later.

Natsu no Arashi! ANN Encyclopedia | 夏のあらし! Genres: Romance Airdate: April 5th OP: “Atashi dake ni kakete” by Omokage Lucky Hole ED: “Kirari Futari” by Shiraishi Ryoko Production: SHAFT Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: I remember starting the manga for this three years ago and enjoying it quite a bit. Sadly it became unavailable on both Japanese and English fronts not too long after it started. The manga is still ongoing and as of last November has a total of four volumes. That said, I’ll be watching the anime particularly because I’ll finally be able to continue the series.

Youko: In short, it sounds like a really weird story, but at the same time I’m still quite interested in what it’s all about. The other thing is that Omigawa Chiaki will have her next role in this one so that’s something I gotta see.

Blade: As a modest fan of School Rumble, I’m looking forward to this one. I don’t know a lot about it, but I think that’ll make it more interesting to watch.

Gene: From the author of School Rumble, Natsu no Arashi! is Kobayashi Jin’s newest work. I read the first chapter or two when this first came out. And this when was School Rumble was still running as well. I was surprised when I heard SHAFT picked this up because I didn’t like it from what I’ve read. The characters didn’t have the same charm like in School Rumble and I found myself bored at the end. I probably should give it more time, but bah. Jin’s infamous pie end in School Rumble made me hesitant to pick something else up from him. Especially since School Rumble Z isn’t doing too hot now either.

Saki ANN Encyclopedia | 咲-Saki- Genres: Comedy Airdate: April 5th OP: “Glossy:MMM” by Hashimoto Miyuki ED: “Netsuretsu Kangei Wonderland” by Ueda Kana, Koshimizu Ami, Kugimiya Rie, Shiraishi Ryoko, Itou Shizuka Production: GONZO Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: RON! Seriously, just hearing about mahjong always reminds me of Akagi (absolutely friggin’ epic show by the way). So then, how about the epic combination of mahjong AND cute girls? There’s no way that could go wrong. Well at least I hope not, especially since the director responsible for Saki also did Dragonaut. UH OH. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that this turns out to be good.

Blade: What’s the deal with the pink girl’s… anyway… A Moejhong anime. Yay I created my own word! But seriously, I am not sure I am going to watch that one, but this one seems to already get a biz of a buzz.

Gene: Saki is all about loli and mahjong. Not a bad combination at all. So what could possibly go wrong? Oh right. GONZO will be behind this one. I enjoyed Akagi a lot even though I didn’t really get most of the rules. So I’m wondering how this will go considering this replaces GAR with moe. Well as long as it has keikaku doori and RON RON RON then I should be satisfied. A lot of good names in the seiyuu department too. Hearing Fukuyama Jun play mahjong should be fun. I hope he uses his Lelouch voice.

Shangri-La ANN Encyclopedia | シャングリ・ラ Genres: Science fiction Airdate: April 5th OP: “Kimi Shinitamou Koto Nakare” by May’n ED: - Production: GONZO Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: Ever since I first saw Shangri-La, I’ve been more-than-usually interested in it. It’s sort of like when you meet a cute girl somewhere and you both keep glancing at each other from across the room, but you’re not sure if you should make the first move given that her parents are hit-or-miss professionals. Haha, kidding. I like GONZO! Anyway, I haven’t seen any of the light novel this is based on but so far I’m loving the premise. I’ve always had a lingering interest/fascination with nature and so, aside from the sweet-looking animation, attractive character design and the fact that May’n (WOOT!) is singing the opening theme, I’m really looking forward to seeing how the story fans out. I want this show to be awesome. I will blog you, so please be awesome.

Blade: When I think of Shanrgi-la, I think of that ending theme song from Chatmonchy for Hataraki-Man, but that has nothing to do this anime. Like I stated, GONZO isn’t exactly my cup of tea when it comes to anime, but considering how Druaga and Blassreiter weren’t as crappy as they could have been, maybe GONZO is on a stride? Maybe.

Gene: Despite my dislike for GONZO, I will watch another show from them this season. From the plot synopsis, it sounds compelling enough to make me want to check it out. I know global warming might not be an interesting topic for some; but mix in a “teenage girl vs anti-government forces” subplot, and you’ve got an anime on your hands. At the very least, hearing May’n sing the OP should be a treat.

2Shea: I’ll be checking out this series for the sheer fact that Leon has some odd attachment to it, that mainly came from him liking one of the preview images released, haha. I do hope it is good, GONZO is very hit and miss (usually miss) so it’s really hard to say, but I will be giving it a chance at least.

Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity- ANN Encyclopedia | タユタマ -Kiss on my Deity- Genres: Romance, comedy Airdate: April 5th OP: “The fine every day” by Kicco ED: “Kizuna no Uta” by Miyazaki Ui Production: SILVER LINK Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: I read the summary and then thought: “…Kannagi?” Then I saw it was an eroge adaptation and then went: “Whoa!” Then I started to think about why the main girl has a pokemon. Uh, anyway, this probably won’t be on my priority list but I’ll give it a peek.

Youko: I’ve no clue about SILVER LINK’s past work(s), but what I see is a fox girl. Or is it not a fox? I’m kind of a sucker for kemonomimi girls but I’m staying neutral to this until I’ve seen what’s up with this. It can’t possibly be more… erotic than Kanokon, can it?

Tears to Tiara ANN Encyclopedia | ティアーズ・トゥ・ティアラ Genres: Adventure, fantasy Airdate: April 5th OP: “Free and Dream” by Suara ED: “Blue sky, True sky” by Yuki Aira Production: WHITE FOX Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: A while back I took notice of the game but have yet to check it out. I also find it interesting that it was made by the same company that created Utawarerumono (which was a show I really liked). With that in mind and knowledge of a party (woot RPGish elements!) of characters, I’m going to be checking this out for sure. It’ll be pretty interesting if the atmosphere is somewhat similar to Utawarerumono’s. Hell, even Suara is on board to sing the opening theme!

Gene: Fantasy RPG turned anime? Let’s see, last time I saw one of those was when Tales of the Abyss was airing. And that turned out to be mediocre. Safe to say I won’t be watching this.

07-Ghost ANN Encyclopedia | 07-GHOST Genres: Action, drama, fantasy Airdate: April 6th OP: “Aka no Kakera” by Suzuki Yuki ED: “Hitomi no Kotae” by Noria Production: Studio DEEN Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: It’s hard to not think of D.Gray-man when reading the summary for 07-Ghost. From the looks of promo image I couldn’t help but think of Vampire Knight as well. No idea why though. I can say that it managed to grab my attention being described as a “gothic-fantasy” which is more than enough to get me to check it out.

Youko: I think this is actually BL or something. I took a glimpse at the manga and it has beautiful art. The story seemed to be full of action though, so I’m not really sure what it’s supposed to be, really. I’ll give it a shot just to see how it goes.

Blade: When I first saw the promo picture of it, I was think of a weird fusion of D.Gray-Man and Vampire Knight. Vamprie Knight would make sense since Studio DEEN is behind this one, but still, I don’t know what to think about this one. It seems like a blatant rip-off so I can’t really be existed about it.

Gene: The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the promo pic and read the summary was D.Gray-man. Set in a kinda gothic world and the main character is involved with the Church and stuff. And I easily see Allen if you dye that kid’s hair white. The synopsis sounds somewhat interesting and Studio DEEN is on this and they’re decent when it comes to animation. From first impressions, the show isn’t something for me to get excited about, but I’ll be there to see the first episode or two to check it out.

Asura Cryin’ ANN Encyclopedia | アスラクライン Genres: Science fiction, romance, comedy Airdate: April 6th OP: “Sprial” by angela ED: “Link” by angela Production: Seven Arcs Possibility of Getting Blogged: Medium

Leon: Two things stand out to me about Asura Cryin’. Firstly, the premise isn’t cut from a typical, run-of-the-mill mold. Or at least I can’t recall the last time I watched something with a lead guy being haunted by a childhood friend (who looks to be the lead girl). Secondly, I find the promo image to be rather interesting because of the whole day and evening reflection thing going on. I’ll be watching.

Youko: The only things I’ve ever seen from Seven Arcs are the Nanoha series and a bit of Sekirei. I’m not totally convinced yet, but I like what I have seen for Asura Cryin’ and I pray this will be decent to follow along.

Eden of the East ANN Encyclopedia | 東のエデン Genres: Mystery, romance Airdate: April 9th OP: “FALLING DOWN” by Oasis ED: “futuristic imagination” by school food punishment Production: Production I.G Possibility of Getting Blogged: High

Leon: I remember when the only images available for this was a gun and a cellphone (and probably something else I can’t recall). If it wasn’t for the summary I would’t have had any idea what Eden of the East would be about. Then again, at the time the summary itself didn’t explain much either. I was surprised to see Umino Chika’s character designs being used. Hell, I almost thought that I was seeing Morita and Hagu! It’ll be interesting to see where Production I.G. will take this but the only thing I’m concerned about is the movie which I think is going to be the finale of the story. That would mean that we (as in those outside of Japan) wouldn’t be seeing it until it comes out on DVD until at least the end of the year or around this same time next year. Hopefully, that doesn’t happen.

Blade: Noitamina has been good so far. Last year we had the great Hakaba Kitarou, a decent sequel to Nodame and even Antique Bakery was delightful in its… erm… happiness? However the black sheep is Toshokan Sensou, otherwise known as Library war. Eden of the East is by Production I.G. as well, and I hope they learned their lessons from last time. The animation looks stunning and it’s kind of surreal to see the band Oasis doing an anime opening. Truthfully, I remember how much Toshokan Sensou hyped me a year ago and then disappointed, but you know, I would love to be wrong with this one!

Gene: Is that you, Morita? But jokes aside, it’s obvious the character designs are by the Honey and Clover manga-ka which is a plus for me. The premise is very intriguing (mysterious naked guy and loli) and we’ve got Production I.G in the animation department. Seeing the trailer just made me more hyped up for it. The animation is simply gorgeous. Movie quality stuff here, folks. Definitely my most anticipated show this season.

Hatsukoi Limited ANN Encyclopedia | 初恋限定 Genres: Romance Airdate: April 11th OP: “Future Stream” by sphere ED: “Hatsukoi limited” by marble Production: J.C. Staff Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: I’ve read most of the manga but have yet to finish it. Why? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll finally get around to finishing it by watching the anime. With J.C. Staff heading its production I would think that it’s reasonable to believe it won’t turn out like the Ichigo 100% anime adaptation. Hopefully.

Youko: Thankfully, Madhouse isn’t pulling any punches with this one. I know it’s hard to say it, but they really effed up Ichigo 100%. With Hatsukoi, though, this should at least turn out good. I never finished reading the manga, but considering how short it is I should. Anyhoo, I’m gearing up for more romance and girls.

Blade: Okay, let me get this out of the way. I’m probably the only person who didn’t hate the Ichigo 100% anime adaptation, I just thought the ending was horrible but apart from that, I enjoyed it. I just wish this series will be better than that one.

Gene: If you’ve been following our podcast, you might remember us reporting on the anime adaptation of Hatsukoi Limited. And as I mentioned there, I have read and finished the manga. Overall, I enjoyed reading it. But not enough to make me want to enjoy it again in its animated form. And we all know what happened the last time one of Kawashita Mizuki’s works took the anime road, so hopefully J.C. Staff will stay faithful with this one and make it shine.

Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! ANN Encyclopedia | ファイト一発！充電ちゃん!! Genres: Comedy Airdate: May ? OP: “CHARGE!” by Fukuhara Kaori and Takagaki Ayahi ED: “Onegai Sweetheart” by Fukuhara Kaori Production: Studio Hibari Possibility of Getting Blogged: Low

Leon: There’s no way I can’t be watching this show. After mentioning it so many times on the podcast, reading the summary, and still not knowing what the hell it is going to be out, it has turned out to be a must-see. Here’s to hoping I get a ton of laughs from it.

Youko: Okay, believe it or not, I actually want to see what kind of show this is. From the summary I read, it made absolutely no sense, but what comedy needs to make sense of things? Hibari works aren’t actually A+ production, but who knows. Maybe there will be future memes originating out of this title. I’ll have my fingers somewhat crossed.

Blade: Studio Hibari, YES! Well, I am a fan of Major so it’s kind of an automatic response, but in all seriousness, this seems too bizarre that it can be great (Kamen no Maid Guy) or horrible (Kemeko Deluxe). Let’s hope this’ll rock.

Gene: This season’s guilty pleasure.

2Shea: This is the official anime of our podcast here at KZI, well.. not really but it is an on-going joke held by us. The questionable subject matter, along with a quite odd preview image(not the one pictured above) has caused this series to gain some attention that it otherwise wouldn’t have. It most likely won’t be amazing, but it may end up being a quite funny series depending on how well it’s pulled off.

[ Episode 51: The Password is Courage! ]

コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　コワイ　

Wow, after all seemed totally lost, I didn’t expect something like this to happen at all. First Maka pulls off Kishin Gari, which looks even more sick than Majo Gari. The gradient, flashy look and the size of it made my jaw hit the floor. She managed to give Asura a serious cut, but he quickly recovered as if nothing happened. Then here came unexpectedness number two: I know Maka was always hot-headed but once the blades came out of her body, things started getting wicked good. And I thought Black Blood Maka was legion. So apparently she has the power of weapons from her blood, despite her role as Meister. A very interesting revelation; it certainly is no stretch, seeing as she herself is the daughter of Death Scythe. Asura was still able to stop her, even after all those blades pierced through his damn body. The most disturbing part was when Asura snapped Maka back to normal and she made that painful PAINFUL scream. Ouch.

Being Maka, though, she still had the courage to stand up against Asura, and she used that courage built up into her right fist and sent a message right to his face. Okay, so it wasn’t that climatic as I thought it’d be, but it was a nice way to end it. The whole thing about having courage is nothing new; rather, it’s a cliché in most stories, but, man, does it work. It was pretty funny how Asura thought that single punch did nothing, but once his face cracked, I started guffawing, especially when he put his face back together right before he exploded. I really liked the line Maka says just then too: how courage is nothing special, and anyone can have it within him or her. Nostalgia comes back once “I Wanna Be” started playing in the background. I’m not a fan of STANCE PUNKS, but I did enjoy “I Wanna Be” since the beginning (even though the other endings are far better), but just hearing it after so long, and now at the end of the series, was pretty cool as Maka takes that one giant leap through time.

So the series ended on a high note, but an open end, so anything is possible from here on out. I can’t believe it’s been a year since I watched Soul Eater, and it’s been an awesome year following it beginning to end. Yeah, sure, the anime did steer away from the manga route, but it was reasonable and BONES did a great job handling this original ending. Whether there will be more in the future is anyone’s guess, but it’s not out of the question. Just look at FMA. It’s fun and interesting just how vastly different the tone of the show went through over a year but the soul (haha, soul) principle of the show stayed true to itself. I could’ve asked for an ending slightly better than this, but I was satisfied, and every other important character was present in the finale, so no qualms! Well, okay, I wanted to see a bit of Ox, Harvard, Kim, and Jacqueline, but you know.

Soul Eater was very action-packed and full of colorful characters, each with their own quirks and behaviors that you just can’t help but love it or hate it. Whether it was Black Star’s god complex or Kid’s symmetry or Excalibur’s “Bakame!,” they were really all a unique cast of characters. While the storyline wasn’t anything majorly intelligent, the setting and the presentation wowed me and everyone else with it’s amazing creative, imaginative visuals and animation, thanks to the guys at BONES. There’s also the great soundtrack the anime provides, by Iwasaki Taku, no less. The variety of music genre was superb. I’m gonna miss having no more Soul Eater, but rest assured, the manga is still continuing, and hopefully this is not the end for the anime. I hope those of you that followed it weekly enjoyed it as much as I did.

[ Episode 10: Secret Hot Springs Death Match ]

[ Episode 11: What Ibuki-san Received ]

[ Episode 12: Tomorrow's Yoichi! ]

Wow, I didn’t notice until the last episode, but ever since episode 10, the opening changed slightly. Well, okay, it’s nothing something to write home about, but I guess this should have been expected; the Saginomiya siblings are now shown unmasked. Yeah, like I said, not really important, but a nice touch for those that have been following. Anything to see Sakon’s beautiful mug.

As if the beach episode wasn’t enough eyecandy, an episode at an inn with hot springs just adds more fun and mayhem for the dojo girls and samurai. Ayame’s behavior was definitely expected, but I’m with her; totally unfair use of their martial arts skills. Anyway, I found myself a bit turned-on by Ayame when Yoichi was in the pit. Well, okay, it wasn’t really her, but Sakon played it cooly. It was funny how Yoichi found out it wasn’t really Ayame because her chest was too big. By now, Yoichi should be an expert at this field. After all, the first things he did when he came into the city were groping Ayame’s breast and looking for Ibuki by comparing breast sizes of people in the mall. I wasn’t expecting things to turn out worse when Ibuki was taken by Ukyou, who was actually wearing casual clothes. Suddenly he’s not in his usual attire. WTF. Apparently, they’re supposed to be getting married? What is this? Ibuki doesn’t know it either, but like knockout gas, she’s out cold and suddenly her mind got replaced with a four-year old’s. Uh-oh.

It was pretty cool seeing Hinagata again. Those two surfer dudes? Not so much. That swordsman guy? Yeah, a little. At least they weren’t forgotten, but wow, that guy really did suck balls. It occurs to me that this is the first time I’ve heard Ayame refer to Ibuki as “Aneki.” I realize she’s said it plenty of times before, but it was more noticeable now. Interesting how she gets so many ways of addressing her.

I’m reminded of why Kagome is the weakest link in this show. Not that she’s the youngest, but she doesn’t really have much prominence, being overshadowed by the eldest two sisters, unsurprisingly. The one problem I have is that for some reason, they’re paying Hanazawa Kana to squeal, gasp, or call the name of one of her sisters in each episode, moreso than given actual dialogue. I can understand the initial shock after Ibuki has Kagome out of her life, though who can blame her? Her mind went back to when she was a kid. Ayame overreacted a bit too much too. I guess everyone’s just so frustrated with Ibuki’s sudden warped change.

That being said, this episode is basically building up for the last, with the turmoils continuing. I guess Washizu was the only one in his own world once Ibuki started clinging on to him. Where’d he buy such clothes anyway… Okay, negotiations with the Saginomiya and the Ikaruga family seem a little sketchy. Live like a rich family and the antidote will be done in no time? Well, la-dee-freaking-dah. They take it anyway, but change their minds…

Ah, family. Sakon gets her brother back. The Ikaruga sisters get Ibuki back. All is right with the world! Well things couldn’t go back to normal without putting up a fight, and a fight they put up! I laughed at those servant guys that repeat “Please head back.” Weaklings, but a horde of weaklings. And maid machineguns, whoa. Not only that, Torigaya shrunk even more now! To make matters worse (better?), he transformed into a girl at the end. Whether it’s Washizu’s vision or true reality, that just boggles the mind a lot. I enjoyed hearing the OP theme played in the background. What better way to end the battle than with some divine wind! So Yoichi decided to stay for more training and sends a letter to his dad about it. I laughed when the dad used the letter to blow his nose and then trashed it. Good man. So, essentially, no really special ending at all.

So overall, Asu no Yoichi! was a predictable, yet fun series that I enjoyed watching over the past three months. Fanservicey in many ways, but also delivered comic relief moments for all the lovable characters, especially Ayame. There’s a lot of material from the original source (manga) so a second season is very well likely to be in the works, though I’m not really holding my breath yet. I would recommend this to anyone that likes a good comedy anime and some interest in a harem anime.

[ Number 2: Hmmm ]

[ Episode 7: Forgiveness ]

Huge amounts of info was given in this episode and a lot of it was pretty eye-opening. I would’ve never thought that the heavens had such an ugly beginning. Pretty much everything is explained right down to how the lower world and heavens were separated. Even so, it is a rather amazing place. Also, I’m guessing that Yumemi is one of those special people who bred Akuto in the past? It is a likely conclusion given all that was shown.

[ Episode 8: Not giving up ]

So it seems Yumemi does have some pretty useful powers. After all, she appeared to save her friends just in time in some ethereal-like form. Though of course, she had to go through a trial before she could do such a thing it seems. Also, I found it pretty hilarious how those two subordinates of Munto were assuming Yumemi split herself into three separate persons. I had no other choice but to think of the concept of the Trinity when they kept on rambling about it. I have to admit though, Munto is really one tough nut to crack. Holding back that pillar must have been extremely taxing on him. Kind of like being crushed in a pipe that’s slowly closing. Ouch. Anyway, Gntarl is up to no good obviously and is going to cause trouble in the finale. Though really I can’t see him doing too much damage since he just doesn’t seem to have the abilities to do so.

[ Episode 9: Love ]

And so it ends. It was a wonderful ride. Though I imagine some would disagree with me, especially if they saw the OVAs already. Anyway, the finale was pretty well done given that the pacing of the last few episodes were slightly faster than usual. Can’t say I say “hax Yumemi” coming though. Sure she has a lot of power/Akuto but I never imagined she’d be able to use it as offense. Poor Gntarl, he should’ve realised he stood no chance. Yumemi also seemed to be almost a different person when she was dishing out her monologue and blew away Gntarl. The same can be said about Munto as well. He seemed a lot more at ease than usual. Though I guess anyone would be if they were about to save two worlds from being destroyed. Maybe. I thought the last few scenes were done really well, especially the depiction of the two Earths joining together as one. Symbolism for the win!

In the end, Munto was a well-told tale of two worlds on the verge of destruction with each possessing a savior. It might not be an original setup but it is well-done. KyoAni never ceases to amaze me with their animation and Munto was no exception. I’m not sure what was reused and what was new stuff but they both looked great to me. The musical score was lovely and enough to make me want to hunt it down (that is if it uses the same soundtrack from the OVA). The same goes for the OP and ED themes. Most of all though, I wish that the TV series was longer. Anywhere from 12-13 episodes would’ve been a good point to stop, I think. That would have also helped flesh out more of the characters such as Ryuely, Leica, Gass and Munto’s subordinates. Hopefully the movie fills in that “gap” a bit, especially since I can’t help but wonder where Munto is and how the world is going to react to the Heavens now being visible and within reach. There is also that space-time distortion that hasn’t disappeared yet which no doubt will play a role in the upcoming movie.

I’d recommend Munto to newcomers in a heartbeat. It’s not the best fantasy series out there but it is enjoyable with its epic battles and interesting cast of characters. Those who already watched the OVAs will have to decide on if they want to (apparently) watch the same stuff all over again depending on if they’re a fan or not. Not to mention the movie is right around the corner.