Summer Season Preview

To give an impression of this season: it’s got 25 TV-series in total that are airing. In the history of anime, there was only one summer season that premiered as many TV-series as here, and that was 2007. On top of that though, I’ve marked a whopping six series with a potential of 85% or above (meaning that I’m really, really looking forward to it), and beyond that there also are a large number of shows that seem interesting to watch once you take a bit of a better look at their premise and who is going to create them. As usual, I don’t read any manga so I can’t say anything about original material (aside from that one show that’s written by the same guy who wrote Denyuuden).

it’s a huge season for sequels: a ton of interesting ones are coming out. It’s a big season for slice of life and mystery. Especially Production IG is on fire, JC Staff is doing what it usually does (unambitious but decent looking moe shows), A-1 Pictures is being totally weird, even for their standards and Noitamina is looking out for a very solid season. Oh, and Satelight and Gonzo are finally back.

R-15

Summary: “The story centers around Taketo Akutagawa, a student with a secret: he is a talented pornographic novelist with a newspaper-serialized work. He enrolls in a school that only accepts geniuses, and risque trouble ensues there. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Munenori Nawa
Series Composition: Sumio Uetake
The Positives: Boobs.
The Negatives: So yeah, this is the crappy fanservice show of the season, produced by AIC and none other than the director of KissxSis is directing it. I think that that says enough here…
First-Glance Potential: 0%

Manyuu Hiken-chou

Summary: “The historical story is set in a parallel Taihei Edo period and follows Chifusa, an amply proportioned sword fighter in the Manyuu clan.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Hiraku Kaneko
Series Composition: Seishi Minakami
Other Notable Staff: Jun Takagi (Character Design/Animation Director)
The Positives: Seishi Minakami. I like him a lot (more on that below, he’s doing three series this season; Mari Okada showed that that is possible)… but what the hell is he doing here? Much more bizarre though, is that a director of various children’s series and World Masterpiece Theaters… is doing the animation direction and character designs…. wtf…
The Negatives: Just look at the url of this thing’s website. With that, you don’t even need to know that this has the director of Seikon no Qwaser to know that this one’s going to suck.
First-Glance Potential: 0%

Morita-san wa Mukuchi

Summary: “The quiet life of Mayu Morita, an extremely reticent high school girl.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Naotaka Hayashi
Other Notable Staff: Satou Yuu (Script)
The Positives: It’s not like Naotaka Hayashi doesn’t have any experience: he has been directing quite a number of episodes of great series before.
The Negatives: Here’s the thing though: the Morita-San wa Mukuchi OVA was really poorly produced. The animation was the bare minimum of what you could get. The scenarios were poorly told, without any kind of dynamics to them. The timing made every scene go on for way too long and it was completely bland in every single way, so much that I couldn’t even go further than 10 minutes in before dropping it. This TV-series has the same creators and I really don’t hope that they will go on with the same bad pacing as here.
First-Glance Potential: 10%

Mayo Chiki

Summary: “17 year old Konoe Subaru is the butler of classmate Suzutsuki Kanade. One day, classmate Sakamoto Kinjirou discovers that Konoe is actually a girl.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
Series Composition: Reiko Yoshida
The Positives: Reiko Yoshida. I mean, the premise is stupid and all, but she’s a very solid writer with a lot of experience. If the manga actually turns out to be good, then she’ll be able to get that into the anime.
The Negatives: Keiichiro Kawaguchi is currently directing Sket Dance. While doing a good job on it, can he really do two shows at the same time? I mean, a premise this crappy really needs all the attention you can give it in order to become a bit worthwhile, and this guy has made a huge share of very generic moe shows as Nyan Koi and Moetan.
First-Glance Potential: 30%

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu 2

Summary: “Advanced placement into a school of higher grade proof-reading is determined by the results of the Promotion Test strictly for class type. Ranging from A class with the best facilities anyone can offer all the way down to F Class which is composed of low dining tables, rotten tatami mats and other worn out facilities. Students can change classes by competing using the Examination Summons Battle system or ESB. Students summon characters with their equivalent test mark scores and use them to compete with other classes.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: None of the staff is announced yet, though it’s probably going to be the same as the first season
The Positives: The director and series composition guy of the first season (Shin Oonuma and Katsuhiko Takayama) are quite solid, having worked on a number of good and very good Shaft shows.
The Negatives: The same can be said for their sequels, though: ef and Natsu no Arashi’s sequel were significantly less impressive and I fear that the same will carry over to this series. Plus, I always felt like this series was a bit of a one trick pony (which is why I never bothered to continue watching it). Yeah, it’s fun for one episode, but do I want to watch this for an entire season, let alone two? Nah. There are many better comedies out there.
First-Glance Potential: 40%

Ro Kyu Bo

Summary: “The story centers around a high school freshman boy named Subaru Hasegawa who joined the basketball team, but the team stopped playing due to the captain being suspected of being a lolicon. Subaru somehow ends up as a coach of an elementary school’s basketball team with five girls. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Keizo Kusakawa
Series Composition: Mikchiko Itou
Other Notable Staff: Taizo Yoshida (Assistant Director)
The Positives: The assistant director is the director of White Album’s second season!
The Negatives: Why couldn’t he have been the main director? That’s just what this premise would need. Keizo Kusakawa is a good director and all, but he really needs a good storyline for that. The same for Michiko Ito, the story has potential and all, but this premise doesn’t depend on how good the manga is, but rather how well the creators can make these characters come alive. I don’t see these guys pull that off so easily.
First-Glance Potential: 40%

Uta no Prince-sama— Maji Love 1000%

Summary: “In the slapstick romantic comedy, a girl goes to a school for the performing arts with boys who are budding idols. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Yuu Kou
Series Composition: Tomoko Konparu
The Positives: I’m a bit baffled here at what A-1 are trying to do this season… seriously… they make two separate shows about a group of budding idols, one shounen and one shoujo. And despite these crappy premises, they do put on talented writers who can make something good out of it. Tomoko Konparu is one of the best writers you can get here, having adapted and written just about everything: Les Miserables, Genji Monogatari, Chi’s Sweet Home, Ashita no Nadja, Glass Mask, Nodame Cantabile, Nana, Oniisama e and the Hi no Tori movies, while Yuu Kou completely baffled me last year with his amazingly accurate and sharp adaptation of Giant Killing. What the hell are these people planning with a show like this?
The Negatives: I also have to remember that Yuu Kou did direct a bunch of really bad moe and bishie shows. Plus, what the hell kind of a title is this?
First-Glance Potential: 50%

The IDOLM@STER

Summary: “In the original Xbox 360 game, the player manages the careers of 10 aspiring Japanese idol singers as a producer.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Atsushi Nishigori
Series Composition: Atsushi Nishigori, Touko Machida
Other Notable Staff: Touko Takao (Episode Director), Akira Takata (Chief Animation Direction), Haruko Iizuka
The Positives: Akira Takata is going to be really busy. He’s currently doing C, and the next season he’ll be supervising the animation for two shows. But he really is an excellent guy to do it, with a ton of experience on beautiful series. Haruko Iizuka makes this even better, especially considering how this is going to be a A-1 Pictures series, who have been really good with animation and eye candy for the past years. The director is also involved everywhere: from the direction to the writing to the animation. This will be the first time he directs a full series, but he’s really making sure to keep control of everything, that’s a great sign. Before this he designed the characters for Gurren Lagann, worked on episodes of Panty and Stocking, Storyboarded the second Evangelion Movie and animated on various Gainax shows. He can really make something awesome out of such a bad premise as managing a bunch of idols.
The Negatives: Touko Machida. A terrible writer. The only good thing to come out of her were GA and Muteki Kanbanmusume’s adaptations. Apart from that, all of her works bored me. Oh, and she also adapted Ookami Kakushi, Lucky Star, Seikon no Qwaser, Allison & Lillia and Sengoku Otome. I mean, the rest of the staff members here are awesome, so don’t let this woman ruin things. That’s very easy with the kind of premise that Idolm@ster is…
First-Glance Potential: 50%

Nyanpire The Animation

Summary: “The story follows a black cat who was abandoned and left to starve. Just before the cat’s life was to be extinguished, a vampire emerged from the darkness and gave it blood. Now, “Nyanpire” (a combination of the Japanese pronunciations for a cat’s meow and “vampire”) lives as a seemingly ordinary house cat raised by a human girl. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Takahiro Yoshimatsu
Series Composition: Natsuko Takahashi
The Positives: Gonzo! They’re finally back, with a doujinshi about a vampire cat, of all things. I really have no idea what to expect of this one. It’s a really famous doujinshi apparently, and the director is a famous character-designer (think everything from Les Miserables to Basquash, Oh Edo Rocket and Trigun), while Natsuko Takahashi is a prolific screenwriter. All in all the potential to become a funny series…
The Negatives: … and yet it looks like a really cheap flash show. Heck, the director only directed one series before, and that was the really, really bad Kaito Reinya…
First-Glance Potential: 50%

Nurarihyon no Mago – Sennen Makyou

Summary: “Rikuo Nura, is 3 parts human and a quarter Demon, lives in a house of spirits with his grandfather, The current clan head of the Nura youkai. Rikou is set to be the next clan head, despit the fact he dilikes his demon side. He soon come to terms with his demon blood and decides to take his position as young master of the Nura house. However there are those who will certainly not allow it to be easy.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Junji Nishimura
Series Composition: Natsuko Takahashi
Other Notable Staff: Mariko Oka (Character Design)
The Positives: Look, I consider Junji Nishimura to be an amazing director. I still count Simoun my top 5 favourite anime I’ve ever seen, and True Tears and Windy Tales both were just brilliant…
The Negatives: But this just isn’t the kind of series where he can really show his talents. Instead he needs series that are either seinen or transcend genres. In the first season, he just got too much caught up in adding in his own stuff while adapting the manga faithfully as well, making both just mediocre. The second season is bound to be better after all that build-up and all, but if it suffers from the same pacing issues it won’t matter because it’ll be too boring. Natsuko Takahashi can write really well, but she also tends to be really sloppy with adaptations.
First-Glance Potential: 50%

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro-Usagi

Summary: “The “reverse school fantasy” light novel series follow an ordinary high school boy named Taito Kurogane who is given a “poison” by a female vampire named Saitohimea, thus changing his life. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Takashi Yamamoto
Series Composition: Shigeru Morita
Other Notable Staff: Kiyoko Yoshimura (Screenplay), Itsuro Kawasaki (Storyboard), Takaya Kagami, Masaaki Sakurai (Art Design)
The Positives: Here’s the thing: the premise sounds really unoriginal. And yet the original novels that this is based on are written by the guy who also wrote Densetsu no Yuusha no Denetsu. That has to say something here. Shigeru Morita also is a good designer, and an interesting choice to adapt this story.
The Negatives: First of all, it’s an ongoing series of light novels that they’ll never be able to fully finish. Second of all, they really got a crappy director to direct this thing. Nanatsuiro Drops was okay, I guess, but the other shows he directed (Final Approach and Jewelpet Tinkle) were utterly abysmal and completely unwatchable.
First-Glance Potential: 55%

Blade

Summary: “”Blade” Eric Brooks — known as Blade — seeks revenge on Deacon Frost, the vampire lord who killed his mother while she was still pregnant with Eric. With all the powers of a vampire and none of their weaknesses, Blade’s quest leads him throughout Southeast Asia in search of Frost, and, in Viet Nam, he discovers a vampire plot that threatens to take down the whole world. “ – (Taken from AniDB)
The Positives: It always takes a little longer than usual for the Marvel series to get their creators announced, but that’s going to be a key here in whether Blade will be a worthwhile closure to this experiment. It really deserves to, because in the right hands a modern day vampire story can turn into a great action series.
The Negatives: In the wrong hands though… urhg. Let’s not think about it…
First-Glance Potential: 55%

Kaitō Tenshi Twin Angel – Kyun Kyun☆Tokimeki Paradise!!

Summary: “Haruka Minazuki and Aoi Kannazuki are freshman high school students and best friends. During the day they help with school activities but at night they thwart enemies like Black Auction and other villains as Red Angel and Blue Angel, the Twin Angel team.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Yoshiaki Iwasaki
Series Composition: Michiko Itou
The Positives: The original Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel OVA was… mediocre. It actually did take itself seriously though, and I guess that that’s the potential here if the creators can use it well; the OVA just had too much cheese due to its short length, with neither characters being interesting to make up for it. The director of Love Hina, Sky Girls and Ookami-san… it could have been much worse.
The Negatives: But then again: with the way where this is going, there is no way in which this series is going to be anything more than just a decent story. My prediction is that the creators will do well on creating decent and likable characters, but are totally going to mess up the story, both by making it uninspired and completely unbalanced.
First-Glance Potential: 60%

Dantalian no Shoka

Summary: “Hugh Anthony Disward inherits an old mansion and a personal library from his grandfather. In the basement of the mansion, he meets a mysterious girl Dalian. She is a Dantalian and a gateway to “Dantalian’s bookshelf”, which stores the prohibited books of the demons.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Yutaka Uemura
Other Notable Staff: Gakuto Mikumo (Original creator)
The Positives: Okay, so this is Gainax, coming with a project that’s being created by people who pretty much all are unremarkable. The director only directed two episodes before, there is nobody behind the series composition and everybody else hasn’t really done or worked on anything that caught my attention. The original creators is the same as Asura Cryin’, but that is a series that I quickly dropped because of bad acting and scriptwriting, not because the premise and story weren’t interesting.
The Negatives: This show will only have 13 episodes, so the creators can’t just sit back and calmly produce a series; it’s too short for that. Fresh blood has always been a big gamble: they have the potential to try something really great there; the premise is interesting enough for that, but at the same time it also can very easily become a bore-fest.
First-Glance Potential: 60%

Yuruyuri

Summary: “Four fun-loving schoolgirls take over the former room of a tea ceremony club for their own “Gorakubu” (amusement club). “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Masahiko Oota
Series Composition: Takashi Aoshima
The Positives: I’m not sure why, but something about this series is telling me that there are lesbians in this show. In any case though, this thing is being handled by the same people who adapted Mitsudomoe. In other words: this could just as well become a really funny series. If the source material has great jokes, then these are the people who have the timing and experience to make them work as an anime.
The Negatives: The people from Dogakobo have been known to half-ass things, though. That’s definitely a bad thing…
First-Glance Potential: 60%

Kamisama Dolls

Summary: “The story centers around Kyōhei, a college student who grew up in a village that deified figureheads named kukuri as gods. Kyouhei abandoned his hometown when he moved to Tokyo and immersed himself in college life. However, he comes across his younger sister Utao with her kukuri in Tokyo. He learns from his sister that a fugitive named Aki from his hometown has also arrived in Tokyo (with his kukuri in tow) and is responsible for a horrific crime that Kyouhei had just witnessed. Kyōhei realizes that he cannot escape what he tried to leave behind in the village. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Seiji Kishi
Series Composition: Makoto Uezu
The Positives: The premise doesn’t seem to be anything ground breaking, but nevertheless it has the potential to become really interesting. Ah, Seiji Kishi, the director of comedies such as Tentai Senshi Sunred and Seto no Hanayome, but also of serious series as Angel Beats. He’s definitely an interesting director for this series, especially if the manga this is based on delivers as well.
The Negatives: That is especially important for Makoto Uezu, though: he tends to be a faithful adapter and all, but he really often adapts utter crap (Akane-iro ni Somaru Saka, School Days, Seikon no Qwaser, Tayutama…)
First-Glance Potential: 70%

Nekogami Yaoyorozu

Summary: “Koyama Yuzu is running an antique shop. Mayu, a cat god (nekogami), is living off Yuzu and leads an idle life playing games. Lots of other gods visit Mayu and enjoy merrymaking.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Hiroaki Sakurai
Series Composition: Touko Machida
Other Notable Staff: Masahiro Yokotani (Screenplay), Tomoko Konparu
The Positives: Hiroaki Sakurai! Thankfully this series seems much more up his alley compared to last year’s failure that was Kaichou wa Maid-sama. He is a really great director (heck, he directed Les Miserables for god’s sake), but with Maid-sama he just made a bad premise even worse. This reunites him with the ones who wrote the adaptations of GA and Les Miserables (heck, Tomoko Konparu wrote and adapted a huge amount of awesome series), so this has a good chance of being a really fun series to watch.
The Negatives: Machida Touko is actually doing two shows this season. Oh god no. Ah well, at least she produced her best work (GA) while working with Hiroaki Sakurai, so there is hope. At the same time though, Masahiro Yokotani also is among the writers here. I did not like what he did on Maria Holic, World Destruction, and most importantly Beelzebub.
First-Glance Potential: 70%

Appleseed XIII

Summary: In the wake of the destruction of a worldwide non-nuclear war, the city Olympus has become the control center of the world. Run by Bioroids (cloned humans made from only the best DNA), it is defended from terrorists by special military forces. Among these are former LAPD SWAT member Deunan Knotts and her multipurpose cyborg partner Brialeos. They face a challenge from the Human Liberation Front and its terrorist underbelly the Argonauts. The leader of this group, Al Ceides, supposedly died 20 years ago in an attack on Poseidon, but now his shadow emerges once again. – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Takayuki Hamana
Series Composition: Junichi Fujisaku
Other Notable Staff: Masamune Shirow (Original Creator), Takayuki Goto (Character Designs), Yoshiki Sakurai (Screenplay)
The Positives: Originally slated for the Spring Season, Appleseed will finally arrive in the middle of June. The team of Takayuki Hamana and Takayuki Hamana already produced Moshidora this season, which was very good, and especially Junichi Fujisaku wrote some of the most amazing series, with pretty much his only flop being the Loups Garous movie. These people can do a great job on adapting the Appleseed manga and give it more depth than what the movies could give it. With the right balance, it really has the potential to become a great story. Takayuki Goto also is an excellent and original character designer, and the trailer looked quite interesting for a 3D tv-series.
The Negatives: I remain a bit iffy on Takayuki Hamana. He is the guy who always comes with some very imaginative ideas, and yet doesn’t know how to execute them properly. He did well on Moshidora, but even there his usual cheese was really apparent, and that kind of cheese will definitely get in the way for something like Appleseed.
First-Glance Potential: 75%

Sacred Seven

Summary: ??
Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi
Series Composition: Shin Yoshida
Other Notable Staff: Yuki Kajiura (OP)
The Positives: Ahaha! A cheesy mecha series. This can go both ways, really, but with Yuki Kajiura doing the OP it’ll have at least one thing to look forward to. And really: Shin Yoshida behind the script here rocks: he also wrote Argento Soma, Karas and episodes of The Big O, Zone of the Enders and Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto. This guy has the potential to write an awesome script here. Oh, and the director directed Bakumatsu Kikansetsu Irohanihoheto alongside Ryousueke Takahashi. that definitely has potential here!
The Negatives: The big problem is that the trailer had a lot of cheese in it. That has me worried the most. Also, the director also was the one behind Aquarian Age and some of Galaxy Angel’s seasons… Oh, and Shin Oonuma is also currently writing Yugioh Zexal…
First-Glance Potential: 75%

No. 6

Summary: “The story is set in No. 6, a future model city in 2013. Raised as a top-ranking elite since the age of 2, a boy named Shion lives in an exclusive area in No. 6. On the night of his 12th birthday, he rescues a boy who calls himself Nezumi (Rat). Nezumi ran away from the city’s Special Security Area. From that moment on, Shion’s life is changed forever…” – (Taken from AniDB)
Director: Kenji Nagasaki
Series Composition: Seishi Minakami
Other Notable Staff: Keiichi Suzuki (Music), Atsuko Asano
The Positives: Josei and adventure. Those are two genres that we really don’t often see combined, and I love it already. Seishi Minakami, who was behind the series composition of epics as Birdy the Mighty Decode 02, Occult Academy, Asatte no Houkou and Shigurui was an excellent choice for this one. The soundtrack is from the same guy who composed the music for Tokyo Godfathers and the new Enma-Kun series (which really had surprisingly good and creative music, by the way). Bones also selected a director with no prior experience in directing a full series, which also has the potential to go everywhere. He worked on some awesome episodes before though, and being the assistant director of Oh Edo Rocket also really helps. Oh, and this doesn’t have anything to do with a blue submarine, does it?
The Negatives: The key with this series is going to be balance. It’s good to see that the setting is intriguing and exciting, and yet doesn’t sound like it’ll be huge. But still, series length has always been the biggest problem for Noitamina. Let’s see whether No.6 can avoid this.
First-Glance Potential: 85%

Kami-sama no Memo-chō

Summary: “The story centers around a “NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) detective” girl named Alice and her assistant, a high school freshman boy named Narumi Fujishima. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Katsushi Sakurabi
Series Composition: Seishi Minakami
Other Notable Staff: Taku Iwasaki (Music)
The Positives: Seishi Minakami! He also wrote the series compositions for Occult Academy and Birdy the Mighty Decode 02 and adapted Asatte no Houkou and Shigurui and I’m interested to see what he can do with this adaptation (which does sound quite interesting in theory despite its lack of originality). On top of that, he gets reunited with Katsushi Sakurabi with whom he adapted Asatte no Houkou. And heck, Katsushi Sakurabi is also an excellent director, having done Uragiri, Tsukihime and Rescue Wings. If the manga is good, then this is promising to be both an awesome drama and suspense series.
The Negatives: … another Gosick?
First-Glance Potential: 85%

La croisée dans un labyrinthe étranger

Summary: “The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family’s ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar’s nephew and shopowner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Kenji Yasuda
Series Composition: Junichi Sato
Other Notable Staff: Mamiko Ikeda (Screenplay), Ko-Ko-Ya, Hnata Takeda, Thomas Romain, Yann Le Gall, Stanislas Brunet (All three are behind the Art Setting)
The Positives: Satelight is finally back, and how! With Sato Junichi they really promise to make a unique slice of life series that promises a ton of character development and historical background. Heck, they even got three French people to help them on the art setting, and these are the ones who also created Basquash and Oban Star Racers, so they definitely know what they’re talking about in terms of creating a unique setting. The creator of Gosick’s art as the original manga creator also really helps as well, along with Ristorante Paradiso’s soothing background music.
The Negatives: The director here is the only weak spot: it’s the director of Shugo Chara, which went on for bloody ages, never advancing whatsoever. Obviously Sato Junichi is bound to prevent this, but still.
First-Glance Potential: 90%

Usagi Drop

Summary: “In the story of the original Usagi Drop manga, 30-year-old bachelor Daikichi comes home from his grandfather’s funeral to discover a little girl named Rin in his garden. Rin is the 6-year-old illegitimate daughter of Daikichi’s grandfather, and Daikichi decides to take her in when no one in the family accepts the responsibility. “ – (Taken from ANN)
Director:
Series Composition: Suguru Kishimoto
Other Notable Staff: Tasuku Yamashita (Character Designs)
The Positives: That is just one heck of an adorable premise. Plus, it’s always awesome to see protagonists that aren’t in their tens or twenties; the current Spring Season also rocks partly because of that. On top of that, we have the director of Tales of Vesperia, a guy who managed to make an awesome game adaptation by being not afraid to take liberties. A real plus considering Noitamina’s limited time.
The Negatives: The guy behind the series composition is either a pseudonym, or a completely new writer. In both ways, this can be either good or bad, but I’m definitely intrigued as to why this guy was chosen to adapt this series.
First-Glance Potential: 90%

Natsume Yuujinchou San

Summary: “Natsume Takashi has the ability to see spirits, which he has long kept secret. However, once he inherits a strange book that belonged to his deceased grandmother, Reiko, he discovers the reason why spirits surround him. Containing the names of these spirits, a binding contract was formed between the spirits and the owner of the book. Now, Natsume is determined to free the spirits and dissolve the contracts. With the help of a spirit cat, his days are filled trying to return the names to these spirits.” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Takehiro Omori
Series Composition: Sadayuki Murai
Other Notable Staff: Akira Takata (Character Design)
The Positives: Of course, normally I’d already be very excited for a third Natsume Yuujinchou season. But heck, this time the creators got an absolutely amazing writer to adapt the source material: Sadayuki Murai wrote the adaptations for Mouryou no Hako and Boogiepop Phantom, two utterly brilliant adaptations in their own unique way. Having written many more excellent episodes for many other series, I’m really excited to see what he can do with Natsume Yuujinchou. Add that to Takehiro Omori who has already proven to be an excellent director for this series.
The Negatives: Now, I did find the second season to be less impressive than the first. It just lacked something in comparison. Will the material for the third season be back to the old level again? Seriously though, that’s about the only criticism I have at the moment: this series really has an all star cast.
First-Glance Potential: 95%

Blood-C

Summary: “Teropterids are evil beasts which pose as humans and live only to drink human blood. Fortunately for the human world there are groups dedicated to destroying them. A brooding and mysterious girl named Saya is the best teropterid slayer there is, and now, in 1960’s Japan, she is sent to a U. S. army base which may be infested…” – (Taken from ANN)
Director: Tsutomu Mizushima
Series Composition: Nanase Ookawa
Other Notable Staff: Junichi Fujisaku (Screenplay), Naoki Sato, Hiromasa Ogura, Takayuki Goto (Chief Animation Director), Kazuchika Kise (Aniamtion Character Design), Tomoki Tsukamoto (3D Director), Kazuchige Kanehira (Art Setting)
The Positives: Holy crap! Production IG is on fire here. I mean, talk about an utter dream-team here, having Clamp write a completely original TV-series, including the director of xxxHolic who did an amazing job on their manga in the past was already enough to make me anticipate this wildly. And yet the rest of the staff here is just godly: the soundtrack guy also wrote the epic soundtracks of X, Eureka7 and Heroic Age, the director of the Blood+ series is behind the script so that he can write awesome episodes, and yet doesn’t have to worry about the ending (Blood+’s biggest weakness), we have the art director of Last Exile, Ghost in the Shell and FLCL, the animation director of Eden of the East’s second movie, Ghost in the Shell and Seirei no Moribito, the character designer of xxxHolic, a 3D director who worked on quite a few episodes of the beautiful RD Sennou Chousashitsu and Seitei no Moribito, plus as a dessert, the guy who did the freaking art setting and design of Birdy the Mighty, Noein, Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Ayakashi Ayashi! How much talent can you put into a series anyway?
The Negatives: None. Well, if I had to say something, then it’s Junichi Fujisaku working on too many other series with Appleseed and Moshidora.
First-Glance Potential: 100%