[Kaoru Chujo]

There are lots of interesting shows this fall. The five at the top of my list are:

• Chihayafuru -- A strong teen girl who is a brilliant prodigy at the Japanese poetry card game. The director of NANA animates a manga by Suetsugu Yuki, the terrific shoujo storyteller who was banished for a while for copying frames from other mangas.
• Un-Go -- Director Mizushima Seiji did FMA, Gundam00, and Hanamaru Kindergarten. Writer Aikawa Shou did FMA, Ayakashi Ayashi and, under an alias, Simoun. Mysteries in a near-future postwar Tokyo.
• Last Exile -- Ginyoku no Fam -- Sequel to the classic, featuring Toyosaki Aki and Yuuki Aoi darting through the sky together in their tiny (simoun-like) vespa.
• Guilty Crown -- Violent romance/adventure, directed by Araki Tetsurou, who did Death Note, Kurozuka, and Highschool of the Dead. Highly professional writer Yoshino Hiroyuki did My-Hime, Macross Frontier, and Sora no Oto.
• Kimi to Boku -- Slice-of-life comedy featuring a group of…high school boys! What a concept! Directed by Kanbe Mamoru, director of Elfen Lied and the underappreciated Denpateki na Kanojo. Adapted by Yoshida Reiko (Marimite, K-On, etc.) from a good manga.

There's a complete season preview on my blog, with detailed info about staff and cast members for about 30 new shows. I think the staff's past performance is the best way of guessing how good an anime will be.