My interest in anime has been dwindling lately, so here’s a short preview of a few series I might be interested in watching next season.

• Toaru Majutsu no Index II – It’s about time they made a sequel; the characters and setting were quite interesting in season 1. I’m sure everyone wishes they had an esper ability.
• Psychic Detective Yakumo – You can’t go wrong with a mystery series. Plus, the manga was pretty good.
• Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai – A high school student has a younger sister who is secretly an otaku. Should be entertaining.
• Bakuman – Two students aspire to be mangaka, but I’m sure the journey won’t be easy.
• Star Driver Kagayaki no Takuto – A mecha series with high school students. Too much mecha anime try to emulate Evangelion or the Gundam series, I want to see something original and thought-provoking.
• Fortune Arterial: Akai Yakusoku – Both Star Driver and this use a school located on an island as their setting. Do any even exist in real life?
• Yosuga no Sora – One of a few visual novel adaptations this upcoming season. Those either turn out to be decent or fail horribly.

There’s also the Gundam 00 movie coming out, but who knows when we’ll be able to see it.

Image Source: http://newgra.blog45.fc2.com/blog-entry-205.html

ALTER

K-ON! Tainaka Ritsu [1/8 Scale]

The final scaled K-ON! figure by ALTER to complete the set. They did an excellent job of adapting the K-ON! characters into figures, especially with the precise details on all their instruments.

Good Smile Company

Fate/stay night: Saber Alter ~Iron Hammer of the Terrible King Vortigern~ [1/7 Scale]

I’m not really a big fan of Saber Alter, but I’ll be getting this to display with my Saber Lily ~Distant Avalon~. The two opposites (white and black) will form a superb contrast.

Fate/stay night ~Unlimited Blade Works~: Tohsaka Rin [1/7 Scale]

Since I’m a fan of Fate/stay night, getting this is a given. She looks to be the best Tohsaka Rin figure to date, especially with the intricate work on the hair. With GSC’s track record, I have no doubt she’ll look amazing in her finished form.

I’m still waiting for the Unlimited Blade Works movie to be released on Blu-ray.

Bakemonogatari: Sengoku Nadeko [1/8 Scale]

Manufacturers keep innovating on the figure bases nowadays, and this is one of the best ones yet. Using the base to make it seem as if Nadeko is standing in water – ingenious.

Angel Beats! Nakamura Yuri [1/8 Scale]

I’m thrilled that GSC decided to make figures for Angel Beats!

Angel Beats! Tenshi [1/8 Scale]

I would have preferred a version of Tenshi/Kanade where she was using Hand Sonic, and maybe even with her angel wings out. Now that would be epic.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Blue-Eyes White Dragon

What a surprise! I did not expect GSC to make Yu-Gi-Oh! figures. It almost looks to be made of metal.

I used to competitively play Yu-Gi-Oh! when it first came out, so this brings back memories. Now around half the cards in my deck are banned from tournament play for being too overpowered.

Max Factory

Miku Hatsune (Tony Taka version) [1/7 Scale]

The best looking Miku figure I have ever seen. I didn’t particularly like Max Factory’s first Miku figure, but this Tony Taka version is amazing. The dynamic pose paired with the way her hair goes from solid color to translucent has me sold on purchasing one.

Kotobukiya

Valkyria Chronicles: Alicia Melchiott [1/8 Scale]

It’s about time someone made a good Alicia figure. Pair her up with ALTER’s Selvaria figure for maximum effect.

Figma

Suzumiya Haruhi (Disappearance version) [Max Factory]

Haruhi with long hair is simply the best.

Nendoroids

Fate/stay night: Saber (Plain clothes version) [Good Smile Company]

Another Saber nendo! Now you’ll be able to display the trifecta: plain clothes, armored, and lily versions.

Ragnarok Online: Arch Bishop [Good Smile Company]

Ragnarok Online sure brings back memories of high school. I didn’t even know that there was an Arch Bishop class now…

Hayate no Gotoku: Katsuragi Hinagiku [Max Factory]

Max Factory following GSC into the lucrative nendoroid business is to be expected. I wouldn’t be surprised to see ALTER and Kotobukiya follow suit.

This is only a small selection of the figures displayed at WonFes 2010 Summer. The manufacturers appear to be ramping up their design and production of figures. I’m guessing business has been good?

For complete coverage of the event, check out Wcloudx (kumo)’s Blog or zotaku. They both have detailed posts if you want to see everything (there’s a ton of figures).

Image Source: Wcloudx (kumo)’s Blog

Is it just me, or does there seem to be more anime series airing every season? Anyways, here’s a last minute preview of the Summer 2010 anime season.

These are only the new series for the season. Movies, OVAs, and sequels are not included.

Title: Seitokai Yakuindomo

Summary: The stage is set at Ousai Private Academy which, due to declining birth rates, has transitioned from an all-girls high school to a co-ed. The current ratio of male to female students is 28:524. Within this paradise, Tsuda Takatoshi is inaugurated as vice-president of the student council. The student council has a strict image. However, there are some members who defy imagination…

Thoughts: Since this is based on a slice of life comedy manga, it makes me think of Seitokai no Ichizon.

Title: Mitsudomoe

Summary: The somewhat precocious and sadistic girl ‘Mitsuba’, the somewhat lecherous muscle girl ‘Futaba’, and the somewhat mysterious girl ‘Hitoha’. Better known as the (mischievous) “Marui Sisters”, this is the story of how these three triplets go about their days in Class 6-3 with their cute yet wild antics.

Thoughts: Eh, I don’t think I’ll find it that funny.

Title: Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu

Summary: In the southern parts of the continent is the Roland Empire. A country in which its people are oppressed by the decadent nobility. By command of King Sion, Ryner and Ferris are sent on a journey.

Ryner is an extremely lethargic person. All he desires is a life of peaceful indolence. However, destiny has other plans and they are soon caught up in a war. What is the future that lies before the light shining from Ryner’s “eyes”?

Thoughts: Fantasy and adventure stories have always been a favorite of mine. At 26 episodes, hopefully it’ll weave an epic tale.

Title: Shukufuku no Campanella

Summary: The story takes place in a city-state enclosed by the sea. Merchants and adventurers alike gather within the city known as the “world’s treasurehouse”. It is a city of endless possibilities and dreams. Here it is that the somewhat odd story of an adventuress and her happy-go-lucky friends unfolds.

Thoughts: Happy-go-lucky friends? Oh boy…

Title: Gakuen Mokushiroku: High School of the Dead

Summary: The world is over taken with a very deadly disease that turns humans into zombies. In Japan, several students of Fujimi High School, and the school nurse, band together to survive the present apocalypse. The story follows Takashi Komuro, one of the students who survived in the initial outbreak.

Thoughts: Why is it always high school students that survive? If the illustration is any indication, it looks like it’ll be quite violent and bloody.

Title: Shiki

Summary: One day, the corpses of 3 persons are found. Although Ozaki Toshio, the village’s lone doctor, feels uncertain, he treats the deaths as normal occurrences. However, in the days following, the villagers die one after the other.

Thoughts: I previously posted about the manga.

Title: Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi

Summary: The story centres around Ookami Ryouko, a high school freshman girl known for her fierce looks, unusual canine teeth when she smiles, and wild demeanour (her family name is homonymous with the Japanese word for “wolf”). Akai Ringo is a short high school freshman girl with seemingly cute, angelic looks but a dark demeanour (her name is a Japanese wordplay on “apple” and “Red Riding Hood”). Together with their odd friends, the two fight to change the world, one issue at a time.

Thoughts: Ryouko looks like an older Taiga from Toradora. This series looks the most interesting so far. Hopefully the male lead doesn’t act like too much of a wimp.

Title: Amagami SS

Summary: Tachibana Junichi always feels depressed around Christmas time due to a certain past experience. Due to his fear of opening his heart to love, his school life is rather lonely. Setting aside his fears, Junichi determines that he will spend the coming Christmas with a girl.

Thoughts: This better actually be romance with an ending and not end up as a harem.

Title: Nurarihyon no Mago

Summary: In the story, Nura Rikuo, a kid who is part human and a quarter youkai (demon), lives in a house full of spirits along with his grandfather. Trying to escape his fate of acting like a demon, he does good deeds in order to avoid becoming one — despite his grandfather’s wish to succeed him as master of the Nurari youkai clan.

Thoughts: Sounds decent enough.

Title: Seikimatsu Occult Gakuin

Summary: It is the year 1999. In Nagano Matsushiro stands the pyramid of Japan, the private Voltstein Academy.

This place is famous for the repeated occurrences of occult phenomenon within its premises. Hence, it is also called the Occult Academy. The dean is committed to studying the occult, while the students are zealous in their everyday schoolwork.

One day, the dean passes away and his occult-hating daughter, Kumashiro Maya, visits the academy. There, she meets a self-proclaimed spoon-bending “time agent” from the year 2012, Uchida Fumiaki. As the two encounters various bizarre phenomenon within the academy, the reason for Fumiaki’s timeslip to 1999 becomes clear.

Thoughts: I love all the original work A-1 Pictures has been doing recently. This latest piece for next season looks promising.

Title: Asobi ni Iku yo!

Summary: The story revolves around Kakazu Kio, an ordinary high school freshman living in Okinawa. A girl with cat ears appears before him during a memorial service for one of his family ancestors. The girl calls herself Eris  and claims she is an alien. Before long, fanatical alien worshippers and a mysterious government agency are in hot pursuit of Eris, but Kio’s childhood friend Manami — who wants to follow in her father’s footsteps in the CIA — captures Eris. Kio finds himself having to protect Eris from everyone.

Thoughts: What a ridiculously random premise.

Summary Source: AniDB
Image Source: AniDB, Safebooru

After looking at the latest NIS America email, I found out that Yui Horie (Minori Kushieda from Toradora!) and Eri Kitamura (Ami Kawashima from Toradora!) were attending Anime Expo this year as Guests of Honor.

Here’s a quick summary about them from the latest AX news post:

Yui Horie has been an integral part of the voice acting industry since her debut. She has been featured in more than 125 popular anime titles, including Love Hina (Naru Narusegawa), Fruits Basket (Toru Honda), School Rumble (Eri Sawachika) and Negima! (Makie Sasaki). Also an accomplished singer, Ms. Horie has performed the theme song for anime titles such as Toradora!, Love Hina Again and Otoboku.

Eri Kitamura found success in her first major role as Saya Otonashi in the anime Blood+. Soon after, her list of credits grew to include several well-known anime titles, most notably Minami-ke (Yuka Uchida), Ga-Rei -Zero- (Natsuki Kasuga), Queen’s Blade (Alleyne) and Kodomo no Jikan (Rin Kokonoe).

Some of Eri Kitamura’s more recent roles include Yui from Angel Beats!, Kureha from Sora no Woto, and Yachiyo from Working!! while Yui Horie voiced major roles such as Ayu from Kanon.

Now the list of guests is even more amazing. I can’t pass up the autograph sessions, which means I’ll probably be standing in various lines for hours just like last year.

Image Source: Safebooru

Besides the Dealer’s Hall with its countless goods for sale, why should you attend this year’s Anime Expo?

I was reluctant at first to head down to Los Angeles just to meet Yuu Asakawa (seiyuu for Rider in Fate/stay night), but with the announcement of the Eden of the East trio: creator and director Kenji Kamiyama, animation director Satoru Nakamura, and producer Tomohiko Ishii, I had to go.

Yuu Asakawa

Satoru Nakamura

Since Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex is my all time favorite series, I am ecstatic that staff from Production I.G. are attending this year’s convention.

Rei Hiroe, the mangaka that brought us Black Lagoon, will also be there along with a world premiere screening of the third season of Black Lagoon. The first and second seasons were action-packed and a pleasure to watch, so I wait in anticipation to view this sequel.

Finally, just recently announced is that MELL will be holding a concert. Some of her works include singing the openings for Rideback, Sky Girls, and Black Lagoon. It will be my first time attending one of the concerts at AX, but it should be good since I like her trance/techno style.

Come join us this year at the largest anime convention in the United States!

EDIT: Megumi Nakajima (Ranka Lee in Macross Frontier) and May’n (Sheryl Nome in Macross Frontier) will be performing at AX this year. The guest list is simply amazing now! My main concern is how I’m going to plan out my busy schedule for these 4 days.

As promised, here’s a preview of Witch on the Holy Night from the Type-Moon Magazine, volume 4.

Witch on the Holy Night was a novel written by the Type-Moon co-founder Kinoko Nasu and released way back in 1996. They decided to turn it into a visual novel that will be released sometime this year.

Fans of Melty Blood should recognize Aozaki Aoko, who is one of the main characters from the novel. Her sister Toko Aozaki will probably also be in the game. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, think Kara no Kyoukai.

Type-Moon really likes having their priest/priestess characters.

His character design reminds me of some other characters. Maybe that one guy from True Tears? (it’s the hair!)

This is the Type-Moon Magazine where these pages came from. The Type-Moon 2010 calendar was also included as well.

I haven’t had a chance to post recently due to the release of FFXIII. So here’s a belated preview post of the upcoming TV series in the Spring 2010 anime season.

Title: Working!!

Summary: The story is set in a family restaurant named Wagnaria in the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. Souta works part-time among the restaurant’s high-spirited, mysterious, yet cool staffers.

Thoughts: The first episode has already aired. My first impressions of it can be found here.

Title: Heroman

Summary: An American kid named Joey has always wanted to become a hero. After he saw a toy commercial on a new robot action figure, Joey believes he’ll gain strength if he obtains one. Little did he know that once he repairs a robot toy abandoned by a rich bully, it’ll make his hero dream become a reality.

Thoughts: Some aspects of the premise remind me of the movie CJ7 starring Stephen Chow.

Title: B Gata H Kei

Summary: The story revolves around a sexually inexperienced schoolgirl who dreams about her 100 sexual fantasies. One day, she falls in love with a plain-looking boy and tries to date with him.

Thoughts: It’s based on a 4-koma, so this *could* end up being amusing enough despite my doubts.

Title: Kaichou wa Maid-sama!

Summary: The romantic comedy centers on the student council head named Ayuzawa Misaki who despises the mostly male, slovenly population at her school, which was once an all-boys school. However, Misaki’s most handsome schoolmate just discovered her secret — that she works afterschool at a maid cafe.

Thoughts: I’ve read part of the manga in the past. Your typical high school romantic comedy anime.

Title: Angel Beats!

Summary: My previous preview post on this can be found here.

Thoughts: My most anticipated series of the Spring season.

Title: Hakuouki

Summary: The story of the 2008 Sony PlayStation 2 game centers around a female protagonist and the historical Shinsengumi samurai group in Kyoto during the 19th century.

Thoughts: Since it’s the Shinsengumi we’re talking about here, I’m looking forward to seeing some epic action scenes.

Title: Giant Killing

Summary: A ragtag bunch from East Tokyo are struggling in Japan’s top football league. East Tokyo United (ETU) can only blame their coach right now, but the coach is ready to prove to his team and fans that he can make this team win against the biggest club in the nation.

Thoughts: I’m not a big fan of sports anime since they tend to drag on for multiple seasons. I’ll have to wait to see how this one turns out, but it’s always nice seeing the underdogs fight their way up.

Title: Arakawa Under the Bridge

Summary: A young upper-class elite man, Ichinomiya “Riku” Kou, who has a policy of not being in debt to anyone, ends up owing his life to a strange girl who rescues him. Nino is a beautiful homeless girl who believes that she is a martian and lives under the bridge by the Arakawa river. So the young man ends up living there too.

Thoughts: This could turn out to be quite a unique story.

Title: Ichiban Ushiro no Daimaou

Summary: The story revolves around Akuto Sai, a boy who aims to become part of his country’s highest order of magicians. On the day he is admitted into the Constan Magical Academy, his aptitude test predicts the following: “Future Occupation – Devil King.” Thus begins his difficult school life in which he is resented by his studious female class head, desired by a girl with mysterious powers, and guarded by a beautiful female android.

Thoughts: Harem much?

Title: KissXSis (2010)

Summary: The story begins with Keita Suminoe, a male third-year junior-high school student studying for his high school entrance exams. He becomes romantically attracted to his two stepsisters and initially dislikes himself for it. Seeing this attraction, his two parents encourage him to eventually get married to one of them.

Thoughts: Wtf

Title: Senkou no Night Raid

Summary: The story is set in Shanghai in 1931, when the Imperial Japanese Army has been dispatched to mainland China due to the relatively recent First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and World War I. In this cosmopolitan city of intrigue, there is a special military spy organization called “Sakurai Kikan” that has since been buried in history.

Thoughts: After being highly satisfied with A-1 Picture’s Sora no Woto, I’m looking forward to this studio’s latest work.

Title: Mayoi Neko Overrun!

Summary: The story revolves around Takumi Tsuzuki, a boy who lives with his older sister Otome, although the two have no blood ties between them. Otome manages a run-down confectionary store called Stray Cats. One day, Otome picks up a mysterious beautiful girl off the streets.

Thoughts: I’ve read a few chapters of the manga. Decent enough I guess, but it never explained her cat ears…

Title: Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin

Summary: Around 10 years after World War II, a group of delinquents are sent to the Shounan Special Reform School to learn how to cope with the atrocities and unfairness they encountered there. A student who has already been residing there when the teens arrived acts as a mentor, teaching them about friendship and guiding them through difficulties.

Thoughts: Meh, always delinquents causing trouble.

Title: K-ON!!

Summary: Sequel to the previous season of K-ON!

Thoughts: Woot, more K-ON! I can’t wait!

Title: Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru

Summary: Adaptation of Hotaru Odagiri’s Uragiri wa Boku no Namae o Shitteiru boys-love manga.

Thoughts: No thanks.

Title: Sarai-ya Goyou

Summary: Akitsu Masanosuke is a timid ronin on his way to Edo from the countryside when he accidentally encounters a playboy named Yaichi, who asks him to be his bodyguard. But it turns out that Yaichi is actually the leader of a group of bandits called the “Five Leaves,” and he’s hoping that Masanosuke will join them.

Thoughts: The art style of the characters remind me of undead.

Title: Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei

Summary: The story revolves around an unnamed third-year Kyoto University student who reminisces about his early campus life.

Thoughts: I can easily relate to this.

Summary Sources: AniDB, ANN
Image Source: Safebooru, AniDB

Shiki has been adapted into an anime airing this July.

I made a post about the manga version quite some time ago. Since this is coming from the same author as Juuni Kokki and Ghost Hunt, the story should be something to look forward to.

I’m still following the manga adaptation, so it’ll be interesting to see how they present this in anime form.

Image Source: AniDB

Wonder Festival 2010 Winter is here, and that means previews of upcoming figures!

The four companies I’m mostly interested in are Alter, Good Smile Company, Max Factory, and Kotobukiya. So I’ll be focusing on specific figures from them that I like.

Alter

1/8 Scale Akiyama Mio School Festival Version [K-ON!]

1/8 Scale Amae Koromo [Saki]

Selvaria Bles [Valkyria Chronicles]

1/8 Scale Clalaclan Full Armor Version [Shining Wind]

Good Smile Company

1/8 Scale Misaka Mikoto [To Aru Kagaku no Railgun]

1/8 Scale Kyrie Rason [Valkyrie Complex]

1/8 Scale Senjougahara Hitagi [Bakemonogatari]

Nendoroid Saber [Fate/stay night]

Nendoroid Suzumiya Haruhi Disappearance Version

Nendoroid Nagato Yuki Disappearance Version

Max Factory

Figma Saber Alter [Fate/stay night]

Figma Nakano Azusa School Uniform Version [K-ON!]

Figma Suzumiya Haruhi Alternate Version

Figma KOS-MOS Version 4 [Xenosaga]

Kotobukiya

1/8 Scale Senjougahara Hitagi [Bakemonogatari]

1/8 Scale Feena Fam Earthlight [Yoake Mae Yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love]

Lots of excellent figures coming out this year. Of course there’s the expected K-ON! figures along with an actual good figure of Misaka Mikoto (about time!). I’m still waiting to see the Selvaria figure painted, but I’m surprised none of these companies decided to make figures of the other Valkyria Chronicles characters. Most impressive is GSC’s Senjougahara figure since her school supplies are actually rendered.

Hopefully I’ll be able to carry most of these products at Figure Haven, but the K-ON! stuff is a bit sketchy due to our wholesaler’s recent licensing fiasco with the Ritsu and Tsumugi Nendos.

For more complete coverage of all the manufacturers at WonFes and their figures, check out Wcloudx (kumo)’s posts on it.

Source: Wcloudx (kumo)

The Spring 2010 anime season already looks promising with Angel Beats! set to air in April.

A synopsis of the series via AniDB:

In a world after death, angels fight for their fate and their future. Yuri, the leader of the Shinda Sekai Sensen, rebels against the god who destined her to have an unreasonable life. On the otherhand, Tenshi, the chairperson of the student council for the world after death, battles against the SSS members. SSS members utilize armed weaponry to battle it out against the angels harnessing supernatural powers.

The premise already has me highly anticipating Angel Beats! Especially the general theme of humans fighting against Gods, which can be further expanded in countless ways.

It seems Key, Aniplex, P.A. Works, and Dengeki G’s Magazine are working together on this project.

Notable members include:

Project, script, and music -- Jun Maeda [Air, CLANNAD]

Character design -- Na-Ga [Little Busters!]

Director -- Seiji Kish [Seto no Hanayome]

Character design, Total drawing director -- Yuuzou Hirata [Strike Witches]

Animation Production -- P.A. Works [true tears, CANAAN]

With Jun Maeda leading the project and writing the script, the drama and emotional aspect of this series should be excellent. Pair this along with the fact that P.A. Works is doing the animation production (CANAAN had some amazing animation work), and you have yourself an upcoming star.

I’ve always loved the music in Key projects and this promo just further solidifies that sentiment.