Spring Season Preview – Movie and OVA Edition

by psgels, posted in Seasonal Previews

I’m really busy this weekend, so this preview will be a compact version, simply because I don’t have the time to look up and list the creators and synopsizes of all of the different DVD-specials, franchise movies or ongoing releases that are coming out next month.

When looking purely at the new releases, the next season will be small. There will hardly be any new OVAs beond the usual DVD specials and manga DVDs. In terms of movies, there are going to be three that I’m really going to keep my eye out… and beyond that everything looks dull.

DVD Specials

Comments: This season, we’ll get DVD episodes and specials from Maken-Ki, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka, Sankarea and Another. Ignoring Maken-Ki, which is just going to be porn, and Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka (the first dvd special was horrible…), there are two interesting ones coming. Apparently Sankarea is going to be more than just another zombie comedy (still: two Zombie series in one season, which both have a DVD-special. Get back to your variety, Studio Deen…). The big one will be Another, though: this is definitely a DVD special with a clear meaning, and it’s going to offer some vital background for the main female. I’m definitely looking out for that one.

Franchise Movies and OVAs

Comments: These are the kinds of movies and OVAs that just keep returning with new installments and of which I don’t feel like covering them over and over again with each preview. This time I also included series like A-Channel and Kenichi, which are coming out with random OVAs that honestly, I don’t care about, having never finished the TV-series they’re based on. I’ve heard good stuff on Kenichi, but the characters were just too annoying to continue with when I first watched it. A-Channel also wasn’t really interesting, and it was mostly unremarkable moe with insert songs that took up way too much time. Beyond that, To Heart is coming out with yet another spinoff OVA, again pretty uninteresting. Oh, and the new Conan movie will be about soccer, for the people interested in that. Honestly, the only thing that stands out here for me is that there seriously is going to be yet another Precure All-Stars movie. Yes, the count has actually reached a staggering 29 main characters. Who are all going to be stuffed into this one movie. And that does not even include all the various mascots that have been collected over the years. Good lord, I’m going to watch that only to witness the complete chaos that can only result from it.

Ongoing OVA and Movie Series

Comments: These are ongoing Movie and OVA series, including manga who just keep releasing an OVA with one of their volumes, like Fairy Tail, Seitokai Yakuindomo and Yondemasuyo, Azazel-san. Of those three, the latter is the only one I care about, having dropped the other two really quickly. Still, the OVAs of Azazel-san are actually better than the TV-series, so it’s good that they keep making more of them. Beyond that, the Eiyuu Densetsu OVA will be continued, which honestly disappointed me a bit: the story there assumed that you are familiar with the original source material, which I am not. And then there is the second Scryed movie coming out. I’m still debating whether or not to watch it, but damn: these guys sure look constipated. The fifth installment of Gundam Unicorn will also arrive, but at this point I’ve pretty much lost interest. It’s a real shame: it’s incredibly well made. But the main character drags the entire thing down. Just like more than 50% of all other Gundam shows.

Moe Can Change

Summary: “Based on a game. The “playful bishoujo Miroid-raising/clothes-changing moe game” has the player joining a beta test program for an android, who the player must raise and dress up as a girl. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Type: OVA
Director: Takeo Takahashi

The Positives: Moe can change? Hah, I’d like to see that!
The Negatives: Takeo Takahashi is pretty much another porn director, with series as Aki Sora and Yosuga no Sora behind his belt now. Yeah, there is no hope for this one.

First-Glance Potential: 0%

Strike Witches The Movie

Summary: “The year is 1939 – it was then that the Neuroi appeared. Nobody knows where they came from or what their ultimate agenda is, but the fact remains that their attacks drove people out of their towns and cities. In order to take arms against them, humanity develops a new anti-Neuroi weapon called the “Striker Unit.” Using the power of magic to fight against the monsters, this new device enhances and amplifies the power of female magic-wielders. To use this device, young witches from all over the world have been brought together to form an elite task force unit called the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, commonly known as the “Strike Witches.”” – (Taken from ANN)
Type: Movie
Director: Kazuhiro Takamura

The Positives: Well, I guess they’re milking the Strike Witches cow here some more.
The Negatives: And here is the thing with this movie: when you look at the trailer, the animation didn’t really improve over what it was. It still looks quite generic, and apparently doesn’t make use of the fact that it’s a movie at all. This franchise really isn’t so complex that it warrants two whole series and a movie…

First-Glance Potential: 0%

Kimi no Iru Machi

Summary: “Kirishima Haruto is your average Hiroshima Prefecture countryside Japanese student that is about to start his 3 year High school life. But before that happens a girl from Tokyo, Eba Yuzuki, whose father is the friend of Haruto’s father, shows up at his house to live with him and his family so she can attend the same high school. Haruto isn’t happy of the situation; a stranger that happens to be a girl of his same age, not his relative, living in the same house like him will cause complications. Truth is Haruto has another girl in mind, Kanzaki Nanami, whom Haruto has hidden romantic feelings for since middle school. And so starts his complicated life.” – (Taken from ANN)
Type: OVA
Chief Director: Yasuhiro Yoshiura
Director: Hiroshi Kobayashi
Screenplay: Momoko Murakami
Other Notable Staff: Kouji Seo (Original Creator), Ryuusuke Chayama (Character Designs), Akira Takahata (Chief Animation Direction)

The Positives: Akira Takahata is an awesome animation director: he also directed the animation for Natsume Yuujinchou, Karas, Durarara and Ookiku Furikabutte. As if that wasn’t enugh already, we’ve got the director of Eve no Jikan acting as the chief director here.
The Negatives: This brings me to the premise: a guy and a cute girl are going to live together again. I really wonder: is this kind of OVA really right for the guy of a caliber of Hasihiro Yoshiura? This guy should delve into hard sci-fi with experimental stuff, not some random romance OVA that is most likely just a promo for the manga it’s based on.

First-Glance Potential: 70%

Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~

Summary: “The story revolves around a sixth-grade boy named Yūta on his summer vacation. His father passed away one year ago in a traffic accident, and Yūta now goes alone to visit a place where he and his father once shared memories. The two had gone often to an unused dam deep in the mountains to collect the rhinoceros beetles nearby. Yuuta suddenly receives a shock in a thunderstorm, loses his footing, and gets knocked out. When he wakes up, he see a small girl and a village — except this village is the one that should be submerged below the dam. Yuuta realizes that he slipped back time to over thirty years ago, before the dam was completed. Another summer vacation, and another chance for Yuuta to reclaim what cannot be reclaimed, begins. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Type: Movie
Director: Kounosuke Uda
Screenplay: Kei Kunji
Other Notable Staff: Takaaki Yamashita (Screen Design)

The Positives: Interestingly, Takaaki Yamashita has closely worked for a lot of the Mamoru Hosoda movies as a designer and animation director. The director will be the same One Piece director who’s going to direct the Ginga he Kickoff series. The really great part is the guy behind the series composition, though: it’s the guy who adapted Porfy no Nagai Tabi. This guy is perfect for bringing a coming of age drama to life.
The Negatives: The show does have a few cliches: this definitely isn’t the only show about a young boy, a remote village, and a dam that’s causing problems. The time travel thing however has some definite potential, so let’s see whether this show can set itself apart from these other series.

First-Glance Potential: 90%

Space Battleship Yamato 2199

Summary: “In the distant future, the war between the human race and the Gamilon has taken its toll on the planet Earth. Constant bombardment of radioactive asteroids has rendered the planet’s atmosphere uninhabitable. As a means of relief aid, Queen Starsha of the planet Iscandar offers the Earth Forces a device that can completely neutralize the radiation off the planet. For this task, the space battleship Yamato is launched from the remains of its World War II ancestor on a 148,000 light-year journey. However, the crew of the Yamato has only one Earth year to travel to Iscandar and back, or the human race will come to an end.” – (Taken from ANN)
Type: Movie
Director: Yutaka Izubuchi
Screenplay: Ryuusuke Hikawa
Other Notable Staff: Leiji Matsumoto (Original Creator), Akira Miyagawa

The Positives: Yes, the director of Rahxephon is actually doing the Space Battleship Yamato remake. This is going to be awesome. I love remakes as it always brings out the best in the people working with them. Most of these series were really made by fans, and more often than not they are excellent vehicles to experiment in all kinds of new styles. The Yamato series as a space exploration franchise with a very simple story is perfect for this. I’m also definitely looking forward to that TV-series, whenever it’s set to come out.
The Negatives: AIC and Xebec? That’s about the last combination I’d expect when animating this space epic. Especially AIC, but I’m glad that they FINALLY are going to do something that isn’t moe again.

First-Glance Potential: 90%

A Letter to Momo

Summary: “A Letter to Momo follows a girl named Momo who struggles with her father’s sudden passing and resulting move to the countryside. Momo finds an otherworldly surprise at her new home.” – (Taken from ANN)
Type: Movie
Director: Hiroyuki Okiura
Screenplay: Hiroyuki Okiura
Other Notable Staff: Hiroyuki Okiura (Storyboard), Hiroyuki Okiura (Original Concept), Hiroshi Ouno (Art Direction), Masashi Ando, Takeshi Honda

The Positives: And ths is the very obvious big hit of this season: the director of one of the best anime movies ever made (Jin Roh), finally returning with another movie for which he took no less than seven years to write, direct and storyboard. This just couldn’t be anymore different to Jin Roh, and Mamoru Oshii also is not involved this time, but this still is chock full of talent, and a number of fantastic animators will be involved as well.
The Negatives: The coming of age movie is very overcrowded in terms of movies. That’s all I have. These guys will have to set themselves apart, but with such names behind this thing, I have no doubt that they will.

First-Glance Potential: 100%

Published by psgels

14 thoughts on “Spring Season Preview – Movie and OVA Edition”

  3. Hnn…I hated Suzuka, but Kimi no Iru Machi started strong anyway. I eventually lost interest, but the OAV should be good I think.

    Reply

  4. A letter to Momo sounds excellent to me (always love the fact that it’s a female protagonist). But it’s hard for me to get excited about films when I know it will be ages until I see it.

    Might as well not talk about the films until they come out on DVD in Japan because that is when most of the anime fandom (outside Japan) actually gets a chance to see them.

    Reply

  6. Once you get past the lack of pants, there’s a pretty interesting mystery behind what’s going on with the attacking invaders in “Strike Witches.” Also, there were some very good character arcs in Season 2. I’m looking forward to the movie.

    Reply

  7. Question on Yamato 2199, seen it said the first movie was a cinema rerelease of the first two episodes of the series and there will be another 6 films covering 3-4 episodes. Trailer looks pretty basic, new cgi space battles but animation just looks like remastered original.

    Is this just a remastered original with new CGI?

    Reply

  8. wow a 100%!
    it’s a movie that I’m looking forward to! I like the concept where the youkai isn’t the cute one but the scary (more like ugly) but yet charming!

    Reply

  9. Haha about Eiyuu Densetsu OVA. It disappointed me too. I’m actually familiar with the first game in the series so I was really looking forward to it. Turns out it’s the OVAs for the second game in the series so I pretty much got spoiled (which I don’t mind) so I was a bit sad. Either way I still look forward to it haha.

    Reply

  10. Does anyone else think that the summary of Niji-Iro Hotaru ~Eien no Natsu Yasumi~ have a shocking resemblance to Suiiki (manga) by Urushibara Yuki, the same author of Mushishi?

    Reply

    1. as in the time travel elements, the dam, submerged village, girl meets boy from past(or in this case, boy meets girl from past), village deep wihtin the mountains

      I do hope this movie will set itself apart though, and if you haven’t read Suiiki, I strongly urge you to, as it is a fantastic tale told in the same dream-like style of Mushishi.

      Reply

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