[Preview] Winter (January) 2010 New Anime Season Preview

As the currently anime season slowly wrapping up, the new anime season is about to kick off. For this new anime season, I got hold of the niconico preview again, so there're more visual than just a picture and a link. This time, instead of re-sorting the animes in alphabetical order, I went ahead wrote my preview using the video's order. It's easier for everybody that way :)



The January preview video actually ends at 4:58, the rest are previews for new animes beyond Winter 2010 season.


Cobra The Animation: Rokunin no Yushi
Cobra The Animation: 六人の勇士
http://www.cobra30th-anime.com/
(video time 0:42)

Cobra is a space pirate. It's a remake of an almost 30 years old anime.

Forecast: Looks a bit too...retro


Harukanaru Toki no Naka de 3: Owari Naki Unmei
遙かなる時空の中で３ 終わりなき運命
http://www.gamecity.ne.jp/media/mix/haruka/destiny/
(video time 0:57)

The third installment of the series of stories that based on romantic reverse harem game.

Forecast: I've seen the first series, never really got into the second one. Fan girls probably would like this since there are many pretty boys. I'll it 50/50.


Chu-Bra!!

ちゅーぶら!!

http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/chuubra/
(video time 1:13)

A middle school girl who's obsessed with underwear (??!!!) is trying to start a underwear club (???!!!) in her school.

Forecast: That... sounds retarded. Maybe just another simple ecchi comedy anime.
So・Ra・No・Wo・To
ソ・ラ・ノ・ヲ・ト
http://www.sorawoto.com/
(video time 1:27)

Did not find any info for this anime at all.

Forecast: Not enough info, no clue...


Seikon no Qwaser
聖痕のクェイサー
http://www.qwaser.jp/
(video time 1:42)

Story occurs in a eastern orthodox school in Japan where people with magical powers are in war (?!)

Forecast: Wikipedia says it's similar in concept with Sailor Moon, but with much more violence, brutality, and perversion. It sounds like an interesting mix. We'll just have to see how they implement it.


Masuda Kōsuke Gekijō Gag Manga Biyori+
増田こうすけ劇場 ギャグマンガ日和＋
http://www.kids-station.com/minisite/gag/
(video time 1:57)

Series of random nonsensical comedies.

Forecast: Apparently it's a series has been going for a while. I have no clue what it is, but nonsensical comedies always have potentials.


Ladies versus Butlers!
れでぃ×ばと!
http://www.ladies-vs-butlers.com/
(video time 2:12)

Couldn't find any info about this...

Forecast: Not enough info...


Omamori Himari
おまもりひまり
http://www.fujimishobo.co.jp/sp/omamori/
(video time 2:27)

A high school boy who is protected by a sword wielding cat girl to protect him from daemons. But there's a problem, he's allergic to cat.

Forecast: Nyan Koi copy cat?


Baka to Test to Shōkanjū
バカとテストと召喚獣
http://www.bakatest.com/
(video time 2:42)

Story about a school where good grade earns you spot in classes that has good facilities.

Forecast: Weird concept, but it sounds quite interesting.


Dance in the Vampire Bund

ダンスインザヴァンパイアバンド

http://www.vampirebund.com/
(video time 2:57)

The princess who rules all vampires paid off Japan to create a special district as vampire haven.

Forecast: Very interesting concept. I think this might be a keeper.


Durarara!
デュラララ!!
http://www.durarara.com/
(video time 3:12)

From the creator of Baccano!, comes another crazy story.

Forecast: This is definitely a keeper.


Hidamari Sketch X Hoshimittsu
ひだまりスケッチ×☆☆☆(ほしみっつ)
http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari/
(video time 3:27)

More story about art story student.

Forecast: The first two season wasn't a keeper for me, this wouldn't be either.


Okami Kakushi

おおかみかくし

http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/okami/
(Video time 3:42)

From the creator of Higurashi, 07th-Expansion, comes another horror mystery thriller.

Forecast: If there weren't Umineko, I'd say this is a keeper. But Umineko is such a disappointment, I'll just have to see.


Kaitou Reinya
怪盗レーニャ
http://www.reinya.jp/
(Video time 3:57)

Another nonsensical comedy.

Forecast: It seems there are too much nonsensical comedies for this season...


Hanamaru Kindergarten
はなまる幼稚園
http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/hanamaru/
(Video time 4:13)

Kindergarten comedies.

Forecast: I was never too interested in this genre.


Nodame Cantabile : Finale
のだめカンタービレ フィナーレ
http://www.nodame-anime.com/
(Video time 4:28)

The final chapter of Nodame Cantabile.

Forecast: If I have to pick one anime to watch, this would be it.


Katanagatari
刀語
http://www.katanagatari.com/
(Video time 4:42)

Not sure what it is about, but it's from the author of Bakemonogatari.

Forecast: The art looks...funky. Actually, it resembles some similarities from Bakemonogatari. It could be another good one.

[Ended] Nyan Koi: Fun

This is a good example of how a comedy with not much content could still be done relatively well. Though there's nothing exceptional, it's a good little piece that provides entertainment without too much distractions of short falls. Although the end of the series is hinting the second season, I'd rather it not have a second season because I don't think there's enough left in this story to make another season without getting into a highly repetitive cycle.

Final scoreboard:

Drama: 80 (Enough to keep the story going)

Comedy: 84 (Some are good, some not so)

Action: N/A

Art/Animation: 86 (Typical)

Sound/Music: 82 (Typical)

Character: 80 (Not much depth)

Plot:80 (Not much)

Ending: 85 (Not really)

Re-watch value: 60 (No need to)

Overall: 85 - Solid B

Recommendation: For short season comedy, this is pretty good. But it doesn't come close to a top of the line comedy series. The concept is slightly unique, but everything else is pretty much just a stereotypical harem comedy anime. So, depending how much free time you have, you might want to give this a try.

[Ended] Kampfer: Seriously?!

After finishing the whole series, if anybody still think this one belongs to the top five of this season, please do tell me why you think this way. I've already lost almost all respects for this series half way through, the only thing kept me going is to seek the explanation for this whole mess. The result? Well, let's just say it's among the lamest ones I've ever encountered.

Final scoreboard:

Drama: 70 (Somewhat lame...)

Comedy: 80 (Ok to certain degree)

Action: 80 (Acceptable)

Art/Animation: 82 (Hot chicks)

Sound/Music: 80 (Typical)

Character: 72 (Very shallow)

Plot: 68 (Lame and retarded)

Ending: 60 (Even worse than its plot)

Re-watch value: 30 (Why would you...)

Overall: 69 - Retarded and Tasteless

Recommendation: If you ask me, I'd say don't even bother. However, the poll seem to disagree. It's still firmly holding onto the 4th place among all new animes released in this season.

[Ended] Needless: 4th Wall, Be Gone

Five episodes ago, if someone had told me that the story of Needless would wrap up completely by the end of the series, I would have laughed at their face and tell them that's impossible because up to that point Needless is in such a open ended (and in a way, endless) plot structure that it'd be next to impossible to wrap everything up within the next five episodes.

But guess what, not only it wrapped up the series nicely by the end of episode 24, it also explained almost everything in the story properly, including the world war III. That was some very well designed plotline.

Many had drew comparison between Needless and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann. Well, I do see the similarity in style of comedy and action. But I was never really amused by TTGL that much because it repeats things too quickly and too frequently. Needless on the other hand, in my opinion has a much more interesting way in storytelling by cleverly utilizing the 4th wall while secretly pushing the plot underneath forward. I guess you can argue that it really isn't that much different than TTGL in many ways. It's probably more of a personal preference than anything else.

Final scoreboard:

Drama: 87 (Depends on how you look at it...)

Comedy: 90 (Constantly breaking the 4th wall)

Action: 90 (Everywhere)

Art/Animation: 86 (Interesting)

Sound/Music: 88 (Heavy metal)

Character: 87 (Shallow, but fits the need)

Plot:88 (Hidden for quite a while)

Ending: 85 (Well terminated)

Re-watch value: 70 (Might still be funny)

Overall: 89 - Let's tear down the 4th wall

Recommendation: As someone who disliked Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann but liked Needless very much, you probably want to take my advice with a grain of salt if you have any different opinion on TTGL. I think Needless is a very nicely done and story with a semi-decent plot. If you are looking for something laugh out loud comedy with some good plot, you should give this one a try.

Fairy Tail: Time Wasted

Currently finished: Episode 9

One typical thing extra long series does I really hate is that they always try to stretch some insignificant event into a full episode. Take this episode 9 for example, all important points in this episode could have been compacted into something less than 5 minutes. The rest, are just truly useless fillers. It wouldn't have annoyed me as much if it had happened early on in the series because there's the need to show the dynamics between different characters. By now, all personal relationships has been well established and these fillers doesn't really present anything new. Sure once a while there's a need for something like this for audiences to laugh at, but in my opinion, long series does this way too much.

[Ended] Queen's Blade 2: Wow, just Wow

The recipe for Queen's Blade Anime:

- One typical ultimate power-up anime plot
- Lots of big boobed girls
- Majority of the top ranked Japanese female voice actresses

Blend them in with some fighting (stripping) scenes to produce 24 servings of one of the most ridiculous animes ever seen on broadcast television.

Final scoreboard:

Drama: 85 (...)

Comedy: 90 (Perverted)

Action: ... (I think striptease would be more appropriated word for it)

Art/Animation: 80 (Huge boobs)

Sound/Music: 85 (Not too bad)

Character: 82 (Very two dimensional, but still interesting)

Plot: 80 (A typical ultimate power-up anime)

Ending: 80 (Typical)

Re-watch value: ... (You be the judge)

Overall: NC-17

Recommendation: I'm not going to say anything...

Sora no Otoshimono: Uh?!

Currently finished: Episode 8

Despite how tastelessly ridiculous everything in this anime is, it seems that they are actually attempting to fit a meaningful story into it. But the story they're trying to present, feels very...half-assed. Intuitively it kind of make sense, but logically, it doesn't, if you know what I mean. This unfitting attempt doesn't really make me respect this story more, but, it does kind of make me curious enough to be willing to stay with the series a bit longer.

Kobato: Getting Complicated

Currently finished: Episode 6

This one has gotten pretty close for me to drop it because both the story and characters seems very "flat". But episode 5 and 6 changed that. There are actually much depth to both the story and the characters. On top of that, the background story seems to be a lot more complicated then I originally anticipated. While I'm still pissed at CLAMP not finishing X, I still do like CLAMP's style of storytelling, especially the story of this type.

So the bottom line is if you too were sick of the lack of progress in the first four episodes, do stay for at least two more episodes before you decide whether to drop it.