Spring 2008: Your Expectations and Anticipated Series

[Pellissier]

This thread is meant to host your comments and expectations about next season's upcoming series.

Given the period of the year, it goes without saying that the focus here will be on everything belonging to Spring 2008 anime.

As an excellent starting point, refer to Impz' post below this.

[Impz]

I just made a comprehensive preview of the spring 2008 season anime, collating all details about animation company, main seiyuu, storyline and the likes in 1 post. A warning is that it is VERY long, so do use the link tags.

I hope that it's useful. So click on this link if you want to read it.

Warning: Be aware that previews' summaries MIGHT contain spoilers.

[qtipbrit]

Thank you.
I love you.

I'm assuming that this list isn't excessive, though, since Haruhi is missing, and it seems a bit short.
But yes, thank you.

[Reckoner]

I found it very informative, I am now planning to at least watch 1 episode of the following: Crystal Blaze, RD Sennou Chousashitsu, Himitsu Top Secret ,Nijuu Menzou Musume, S -A ~Special-A~.

And of course Code Geass R2, and if it is announced, DEFINITELY Haruhi 2.

Thank you for posting this up.

Spring season sure is looking good.

[DragoonKain3]

Always nice to have previews to get myself excited over the new season... Then I realize it's all for naught, since I am at the mercy of the fansubbers in concern to what shows I can actually watch lol.

That said, I'm still looking forward if anyone is going to pick up Special A, as it looks like KareKano mk. 2. Oh, not to mention Yuko Goto and Fukuyama as the leads? Sounds like a hit to me. XD

Well, regardless of new anime or not, there's already 3 returning series I was already looking forward to. Going to be a tough competition next season, but then again spring had always better anime on average than winter.

[Aoie_Emesai]

It was a nice read, good review that I wouldn't bother reading on other sites ^^

[qtipbrit]

Mmmm... not that you guys probably care, but I've gone through the very thorough process of categorising these series based upon whether or not I'll watch them.

Spoiler for Yes. I will watch these.:

THE DISAPPEARANCE OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA: Even though they haven't "officially" announced it, I'll be watching this, whether it airs or not.
Code Geass R2: Saw the first, liked a good deal of it, and with an ending like that, I'm kind of obligated to watch the second season.
Nabari no Ou: Nice character designs, what seems to be a decent action series, Rie Kugimiya as another loli-tsundere, I'm in. Damn.
Oh well, it's still a pretty interesting concept.
Vampire Knight: Fan of the manga, bigger fan of Yui Horie. I've also enjoyed many of Studio Deen's productions, but as they are producing four this season, it may affect quality .

Spoiler for Probably, there's a very high chance I'll watch these.:

Allison to Lilliana: Kino's Journey was interesting, and Mamiko Noto is one of my favourite voices. Madhouse is probably a plus, too.
Amatsuki: Another from Studio Deen. Seems like a good concept.
D.C. II Second Season: Watched the first three, though the third (DCII) didn't seem to appeal to me that much.
Itazura na Kiss: Seems interesting, though Daisuke Hirakawa did play Makoto. From the description, though, he seems to be playing a character with a personality totally opposite of Makoto's.
Kanokon: A friend of mine tells me the manga is good and that it seems to be more promising than Rosario + Vampire.
Nijuu Menzou Musume: I may have to agree with the potential bloggers on the main character. Assuming Aya Hirano plays her, it's just packed with more win.
RD Sennou Chousashitsu: Though I've never watched an I.G. anime, I hear they are wonderfully animated, so I'll give this one a try, as it seems to be interesting as well.
S-A Special A: Shoujo romantic comedy seems to be a fun genre. And as DK3 said, Yuko Goto and Jun Fukuyama are potentially great.

Spoiler for Maybe: I'll try an episode or two to see if I like it, and there's a decent chance I'll pick these up.:

Blassreiter: Another Gonzo maybe. Shizuka Ito a plus, and it seems like it has good animation and CG. Okay.
Bus Gamer: Short, so it's here because I'll probably wait until they've all aired and watch them all in one go.
Kaiba: It seems "unique", and Mamiko Noto's in it.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki: Nomad and maids.
Macross Frontier: Haven't followed the original series, may pick it up now.
The Tower of Druaga: Yui Horie (and Minori Chihara and Fumiko Orikasa) + Gonzo is a maybe in my book. The lack of action series that I followed in Fall '07 and this season (pretty much only Shakugan no Shana Second) has me searching for more action series, too.
Soul Eater: I'm not particularly a fan of Bones, but this looks decent.
To Love-ru: Eh, Harem comedies are generally a maybe.
Toshokan Sensou: Another Production I.G., though it doesn't seem as interesting as RD.

Spoiler for Ehh: I will probably stay away from these, but if I hear good reviews, I may try an episode.:

Crystal Blaze: Doesn't really jump out at me.
Himitsu Top Secret: Don't like the character designs, and it seems murky.
Junjou Romantica: I've never seen a yaoi, not sure if I want to pick one up now.
Kamen no Maid Guy: Hayate wins as a he-maid.
Kure-nai: Not particularly interested in this one.
Monochrome Factor: Yukari Tamura may be good for moe, but it looks uninteresting and cloudy otherwise.
Zettai Karen Children: Ehh...

Spoiler for No: I shall avoid these like the plague. Not really, but these include sequels to series I haven't watched.:

Golgo 13: Ehh, not a fan of the concept, though it may be like Mnemosyne no Musume-tachi.
Ikuze Gen-san: Seems like a kids' show.
Kyou Kara Maoh! Third: Sequel.
Neo Angelique Abyss: An anime that doesn't know what it is from an unknown studio.
Uchino 3 Shimai: Blog + Toei = Lose.
Wagaya no Oinari-sama: I personally am not really a fan of kemonomimi
xxxHOLic Kei: Sequel.

There seem to be a lot of shoujo anime and a lot of action anime this season. I'd also like to point out to some *Darklord* , that there's only one eroge visual novel adaptation here, and it's a sequel.

Feel free to comment and such.

[Oppius]

Code Geass R2 and Golgo 13 are the only shows that I look forward to. I was disappointed that still no new shoujo-ai in this spring. Maybe I should wait for fourth season of MariMite in this summer.

PS: I heard a rumor which said that Code Geass R2 have more yaoi undertones than the first season. I hope that rumour was wrong.

[Irenicus]

I am so looking forward to Code Geass Season 2.

Anything else though, I'll just take as they come. Yes, that includes Special A. The character designs get to me, so yeah.

Seems like a big season for lots of shonen action, as well as an interesting drought in eroge-adaptations. I'm not too big on either, but oh well.

Though I hope someone subs Kaiba.

Originally Posted by Amex_Yohko

PS: I heard a rumor which said that Code Geass R2 have more yaoi undertones than the first season. I hope that rumour was wrong.

Considering the amount of hype Sunrise has been trying to raise for the upcoming Code Geass Season 2, and the amount of fans who'd be willing to believe (or even start) anything, I don't think you have anything to fear. It's probably a rumor.

[Kaioshin Sama]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

Always nice to have previews to get myself excited over the new season... Then I realize it's all for naught, since I am at the mercy of the fansubbers in concern to what shows I can actually watch lol.

That said, I'm still looking forward if anyone is going to pick up Special A, as it looks like KareKano mk. 2. Oh, not to mention Yuko Goto and Fukuyama as the leads? Sounds like a hit to me. XD

Well, regardless of new anime or not, there's already 3 returning series I was already looking forward to. Going to be a tough competition next season, but then again spring had always better anime on average than winter.

I can get Fukuyama and Goto in Code Geass R2 though, which I will probably be blogging myself. Also included on my watch list are Macross Frontier and Kyouran Kazoku Nikki because I find the lead loli irresistable and Nabari no Ou, where I might add that Rie Kugimiya is NOT I repeat NOT playing a Tsunderer loli, but the male lead. I don't know where qtipbrit got that idea from, but make no mistake about her role in that show or you might end up disappointed when Shana fails to materialize, if that's what you are looking for.

Also I won't be watching The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya since it doesn't exist yet. I don't know why everybody just suddenly started assuming it was coming out in April as there has been nothing at all regarding a released date or really even anything tangible regarding it's existance beyond a picture and an announcement that it is being considered to be being worked on. Let's not let these rumours spread anymore shall we. The series has had more false announcements and release dates then even Duke Nukem forever. So far I've heard it is coming out at least each season since the end of the first series, and at no time has there been any sort of evidence to lend credence to the claims. So let's wait for an official release date from an official source folks.

[OverFunk]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

and Nabari no Ou, where I might add that Rie Kugimiya is NOT I repeat NOT playing a Tsunderer loli, but the male lead. I don't know where qtipbrit got that idea from, but make no mistake about her role in that show or you might end up disappointed when Shana fails to materialize.

Oh come on now, she's already started diversifying her characters with Nena Trinity and Mizore. At this point a fan of her should know better...

And she did a male character in Oh Edo Rocket...

[qtipbrit]

Originally Posted by Kaioshin_Sama

I might add that Rie Kugimiya is NOT I repeat NOT playing a Tsunderer loli, but the male lead. I don't know where qtipbrit got that idea from, but make no mistake about her role in that show or you might end up disappointed when Shana fails to materialize, if that's what you are looking for.

Damn. I read tsundere somewhere in a description of Nabari, so I assumed it was Kugimiya.
Seeing as the series I'm currently following in which she appears are Shakugan no Shana Second and Hayate no Gotoku, (and Mnemosyne, but it's been one episode, and she wasn't really as much of a central character), I guess I feeling the whole loli-tsundere vibe.
It's strange, too, since she really actually hasn't played nearly as many as you'd expect. I would say that she's had maybe three really popular ones: Louise, Shana, and Nagi, and maybe a few other lower-profile characters.

Originally Posted by OverFunk

Oh come on now, she's already started diversifying her characters with Nena Trinity and Mizore. At this point a fan of her should know better...

And she did a male character in Oh Edo Rocket...

She's played several male characters, even years ago: FMA, Midori no Hibi, and I think some character from Trinity Blood and one of the Digimon series.

And Kyoto announced a second season of Haruhi, and we're all assuming (moreso hoping) that it will be in the Spring.

[TinyRedLeaf]

If Uchino 3 Shimai gets subbed (doesn't seem likely), I would love to watch it. Something about it reminds me of Southpark gone wrong (ie, Southpark without the swearing; imagine that).

Kaiba suffers from the same problem. I highly doubt that anyone would sub it. That's a shame. It looks far more interesting than all the shoujo/shounen fare coming out next season.

The two Production I.G series, RD Sennou Chousashitsu and Toshokan Sensou, pique my interest. I'll give them a try. Especially the latter. Wars of ideology. Hmm. Sounds delicious.

Allison to Lillia. Now that's a surprise. I bought a Kino no Tabi artbook last year, and it featured these characters along with character art of Kino. I'd check it out based on name recognition alone.

And of course, I'll be watching Haruhi, as soon as it arrives. That goes without saying.

[lubczyk]

I'll definately be watching Code Geass Season 2, Macross Frontier and Haruhi Season 2. The rest, I'll watch to see if they're any good.

I'm really interested in Golgo 13.

Seems about right. I can only keep up with 2 or 3 shows a season.

If I have any time leftover, I'll look into the Project IG shows.

I'm hoping that Wagaya no Oinari-sama will be better than Wolf and Spice.

Anyone else find it kind of disturbing how many High School Shounen and Harem animes there are for the Spring 2008 season?

I mean, how many average high-school boys can you have?

[DragoonKain3]

Err... going strictly by the summaries, there's 13 series that has high school boys. Of that, 2 are shoujo rather than shounen (Itazura and Vampire knight), there's one that looks like shounen-ai (monochrome), and there's a couple of shows (Macross and Code Geass) in which being in high school doesn't seem to matter in terms of story. And all that out of 34 shows previewed, so take that as you will.

I'm actually surprised that there aren't more highschool-aged shows, as even in the past it's that age that's always been the most popular. Do note that my count is basically what I inferred from the summaries, so the final count would probably be higher.


Also, why are people under the impression that Haruhi s2 is this coming season? You'd think they'd announce it right now, no? Did people deduce this because when they looked at all the station's air times, there's one time slot that still hasn't been filled out yet? I mean, it's called the 'disappearance' of Haruhi, but I don't think it's just gonna pop out of nowhere.

So yeah, I don't believe it's coming this season. Even the thread about the 2nd season doesn't have anything to say concrete, and these rumours are even fooling some of the mods. As much as I am a Haruhi-tard, think we should stop until we get something more tangible, no?


@Kaoishin
Who does NOT have Code Geass on their to-watch list apart from mecha haters? XD

That said, who tf is Anya? Been a while since I saw CG, so isn't she a new character? As such, I don't think I'll hear much of Goto Yuko. Then again, I'm wondering what she's doing in CG when IMO she ain't that versatile of an actress, and that her place should be in 'moe' shows lol.


And speaking of actresses, my favourite, Nakahara Mai, is seemingly absent in a starring role this season. GRRR!

[Westlo]

People assumed Haruhi 2 was for Spring because it was announced... in December? Clannad was also going to wrap up by than so you put 2 and 2 together and got Spring. Obviously things didn't work out that way since if Haruhi was going to be this spring an air date would be out by now, same for SHAFT's Shina Dark which was in my "Spring Hitlist" in my sig. Noone really expected KyoAni and SHAFT to take a break so those 2 shows now look set for Summer or Fall. Since I want a decent ending that leaves it open for a conclusion for Shina Dark I'm hoping fall, it's amonthly manga...

Still Spring is shaping up to be an awesome season, not that anyone would care but later on I might list why I'm going to watch each show in my sig, too busy reading manga atm to do that...

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

Also, why are people under the impression that Haruhi s2 is this coming season?

The dynamics of internet rumors? "... wouldn't it be great ..." becomes "... there is a possibility ..." becomes "... I've heard they would ..." becomes " ... it has been announced somewhere that ..." becomes (in April) "... they must have canceled it because it's not deemed profitable anymore ...". Or maybe there is something substantial, but I haven't seen anything like that either.

I think I will spend some time this evening glancing over what T.H.A.T. and anidb have to offer...

[7Th]

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

@Kaoishin
Who does NOT have Code Geass on their to-watch list apart from mecha haters? XD

People with actual taste, for once. Not like I won't watch it, it's a deliberately idiotic train-wreck you can't help but enjoy.

As for the season itself, KAIBA is the one show I am truly looking forward to.

[KholdStare]

Usually I just wait until the episodes are actually subbed or if a show has a very huge popularity. That said, the only anime I'm interested in at the moment is Allison to Lilli, but we'll see.

[Impz]

For those who are wondering why Haruhi is not inside, it is because there is no concrete news that it will be released in Spring. The preview is constantly updated when there is new information, so Haruhi will be included once I get any news and add it accordingly.

Considering Tsuruya-san is the patron of THAT Anime Blog, it will be well loved ^^