Winter Garden

First Air Date: 12/22 – 27:04
Genres: Romance(?)
Episodes: 2
OP: “Forget-me-not” by Hiromi Satou
ED: “Winter Garden” by Asami Sanada
Studio: J.C. Staff
Official Site: http://www.broccoli.co.jp/dejiko/anime.html
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/wintergarden/
Anticipation: High

A TV special (a spinoff of Di Gi Charat) of two episode that will air over the course of two days. If I like this show even a little, I will most definitely blog it, since being only two episodes long won’t affect my schedule. That is if it’s subbed of course. Is it just me or does the brown haired girl look like a younger version of Asahina Mikuru? Well I can say the character design certainly looks very promising, and it’s being done JC Staff, so the quality should be relatively high. Winter Garden is a love story, though the synopsis translation over at ANN isn’t very clear. It looks like the same VA from Di Gi Charat will be doing the main character in this spinoff. Judging by a few screenshots on the official site, I can tell the backgrounds will be the same washy/watercolour type that JC Staff used for Asatte no Houkou. This will certainly give it a nice, cheerful feel to it.

Saint October

First Air Date: 01/04 – 25:55
Genres: Adventure, fantasy
Episodes: –
Studios: Konami, Studio Comet
Official Site: http://www.konami.jp/visual/saintoctober/
Anticipation: High

Both the character designs and story certainly are very appealing. The show focuses on three girls with special powers in a world where there are people who wish to bring about the end of the world. The three girls’ primary roles are detectives, and so the show will probably follow them through their investigations. And sure enough, they’re special abilites must have something to do with the deadly weapons being carried around. I’m eager to see them in action; I see a sword, numb chucks and a fancy bow! Cute girls wandering around with killing intent, what could go wrong? Hmm, who remembers Lala from School Rumble? Or Setsuna from Negima? Well one of the girls is being voiced by Yuu Kobayashi, the seiyuu who did those two well known characters. Another girl will be voiced by Yukari Fukui, who did Sara from School Rumble. The last main character though, is being voiced by Azusa Kataoka, who did Yumeno from Onegai my Melody. Quite a nice cast; will be looking forward to it!

Kyoshiro to Towa to Sora

First Air Date: 01/05 – 13:30
Genres: Fantasy, mecha, romance, shounen
Episodes: 12
OP: “Cross Heart” by CooRie
Studio: TNK
Official Site: http://www.kyoshiro-sora.net/
Anticipation: Medium

Adapted from the manga of the same name, this show is about a normal high school girl who finds her daily life too unfulfilling. Following a sequence of recurring dreams, she meets the prince in real life that had always appeared in her dreams. Sounds interesting enough and the characters look decent, though I’m very worried about the quality. I can’t help but think this show will become a Yoake clone, as the studio doing it hasn’t done any major shows. TNK engages in a lot of low-level in-between animation jobs, which suggests the studio doesn’t have a lot of money to spend. However, the seiyuus hired seem pretty good, and the prince will be voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi. Don’t know him? Remember Haji from Blood+? Komui from D.Gray-man? Usui from Karin or Sergay from Mai Otome? Well those are just a few roles he’s done. Interesting pairing too, as the seiyuu for Kuu, the female lead, is Sayuri Yahagi, who although inexperienced, did Karin from, well, Karin! The other female main character, Setsuna, is being voiced by Yuki Matsuoka, who did Tsuruya from SHnY, Inoue from Bleach and Evangeline from Negima! I wonder which voice she will use…

Deltora Quest

First Air Date: 01/06 – 08:00
Genres: Adventure, fantasy
Episodes: –
Studio: Oriental Light and Magic, GENCO
Official Site: http://www.deltoraquest.jp/
Anticipation: High

Hey, an adaptation of the AUSTRALIAN series of novels by Emily Rodda of the same name! And as an Aussie myself, of course I’ve read the novels! What I can say is that the novels are more orientated towards children, and since it’s aired in the mornings, it’ll more likely be toned down. The story follows three characters, Lief, Barda and Jasmine on a journey to retrieve seven magical gems, that when combined, will have the power the vanquish the evil Shadow Lord. The setting is a fantastical land called Deltora, with two major cities (Del and Tora), as well as a large section of the land called the Shadow Lands, which is obviously ruled by the Shadow Lord. I have no idea how long this show will be, though if it is to cover the entire story, it must be quite long, as there are 15 books in total. However, there are only 8 in the first part, so I assume the anime will go up to there. The rest might make be used for a sequel, or it might all be squeezed into one series. What I really like about the books is that it is not as action-orientated as you might think, but has numerous puzzles and mysteries which the characters must solve.

Sky Girls

First Air Date: 01/07 – 23:00
Genres: Action, mecha, sci-fi
Episodes: –
Studio: J.C. Staff(?), Konami
Official Site: http://www.konami.jp/visual/skygirls/
Anticipation: Very High

What can I say about this? Only that I loved the OAV and am stoked about it getting an anime. I have to lower my quality expectations though, since that was an OAV and this is a TV series. I’m surprised that I couldn’t find any information on ANN or AnimeNFO, so I hope this show really is going ahead. Well, I’ll give you the OAV summary anyway. Some time in the future when humans are at war with aliens called ‘Worms’, a mecha unit called the ‘Sonic Divers’ is created, and are piloted by three young girls, to defend against the enemy. And they sure look younger than they really are. You can check out my entry on the OAV here. Anyway, lolis piloting mechas and flying around with big guns and swords…surely this will be a big hit! This is easily my most anticipated show of the winter season.

Shuffle! Memories

First Air Date: 01/07 – 24:00
Genres: Comedy, harem, romance, school life
Episodes: –
Studio: SHUFFLE! Media Partners
Official Site: http://www.shuffle-tv.com/
Anticipation: High

I am one of the sad few who have not seen the original Shuffle, and since this is a retelling, just watching this series won’t be enough either. It seems that the original was rather controversial because of who the guy ended up with, so it looks like it will be different this time. Ok, so this summary is from the original Shuffle, and I am mostly doing this for my own sake, since a lot of you would already know exactly what it is about. Basically, it’s a harem, but not your average one. The male lead’s picks are his childhood friend, the daughter of the King of Demons, and the daughter of the King of Gods. Wow, what a nice harem! Surprisingly though he doesn’t end up with any of them, but his sempai, Asa. I wonder if this remake will make him end up with one of the girls in his original harem. I got put of by the demonic ears when I tried to watch the original, but knowing how popular it is, I know I have to watch this remake at least.

Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight

First Air Date: 01/07 – 25:30
Genres: Comedy, school life
Episodes: –
OP: “A Happy Life” by Megumi Hayashibara
ED: “Lucky & Happy” by Megumi Hayashibara
Studio: ufotable
Official Site: http://www.ufotable.com/manabi/index.html
Anticipation: High

This is something Impz got me interested in. We all know Impz, the lolicon from THAT nah just kidding! Well, he thinks this super cute, which is why he is sure to watch it, and personally, I think it is exceptionally kawaii as well. Thirty years in the future, due to the decreasing number of children, many schools are in danger of closing. This show follows the life of one girl who transfers to such a school, and her name is Amamiya Manabi. I’m kinda excited about the OP and ED too, since they are both sung by the seiyuu of Rei Ayanami from Evangelion (a favourite of mine). Hopefully the anime doesn’t turn out to be too childish though. I like cute, but I can’t take Pokemon.

Hidamari Sketch

First Air Date: 01/11 – 25:25
Genres: Comedy, slice-of-life
Episodes: –
Studio: SHAFT
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/hidamari/
Anticipation: Medium

Another show Impz seems to be infatuated with. *sighs* Well, I admit it’s cute, but the story isn’t really that interesting. It’s about a girl who moves into an apartment by herself in front of her school, and meets a few artists who also live in the same block. The show follows this girl of course, and it seems like she’s aspiring to become an artist. Who knows, it might turn out to be a touching slice-of-life, or it might become a ridiculous loli-fest filled with nonsense and randomness. It’s done by SHAFT so it shouldn’t be too bad. I’m worried about the main girl’s voice though, her seiyuu seems to have no experience in the industry. Ah well, you can’t tell whether something is good or not until you actually see it, so I’ll shut up now and wait quietly…

Venus Versus Virus

First Air Date: 01/11 – 25:55
Genres: Adventure, fantasy
Episodes: –
OP: “Bravin’ Bad Brew” by Riryka
ED: “Shijun no Zankoku” by Yousei Teikoku
Studio: Studio Hibari
Official Site: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/vvv/
Anticipation: High

Adapted from the manga of the same title, Venus Versus Virus is about two girls, Luchia and Sumire. Luchia is an exterminator of the soul eater ‘Virus’. However, an incident occurs when Luchia accidentally gives Sumire the power to see the Virus, and suddenly they all start coming after her. A nice and interesting storyline, as well as gun-toting girls again! I’m all for it! Something to note: the seiyuu of Sumire is Minori Chihara, the same person who did Yuki from SHnY. On the other hand, the seiyuu of Luchia is rather new to the job, and is also doing Jasmine from Deltora Quest. This show’s producers, Studio Hibari, is also responsible for the animation of Sumomomo Momomomo, Tsuyokiss and Kashimashi. That’s not too notable I guess but at least it should be alright.

Getsumen Toheiki Mina

First Air Date: 01/13 – ??:??
Genres: Comedy
Episodes: –
OP: “Lights, Camera. Action!” by HALCALI
ED: “Beautiful Story” by Marina Inoue
Studio: J.C. Staff
Official Site: http://www.mi-na.jp/
Anticipation: Above average

An anime somehow related to the Japanese drama series, Densha Otoko. The animation looks a bit bland, but then again, the studio behind this show is Gonzo, the one which is incredibly unpredictable in terms of animation quality. The female lead sure seems energetic though, and that’s probably what draws me in right now. Anyway, this show is about a girl called Tsuku Mina, who is hired as a high school announcer. Well, that’s probably irrelevant since she then gets caught in an accident caused by aliens, and receives her important mission to complete. Apparently, this was a fake show (I think) in Densha Otoko, but now it becomes a real anime! It sure reminds me of NHK ni Youkoso (the character designs I mean) but the story sounds a lot more fun that NHK. The girl who seems really energetic definitely beats Satou, the hikikomori.

Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kempuchou

First Air Date: 01/19 – 23:00
Genres: Action, fantasy, school-life, shounen(?)
Episodes: –
Studio: –
Official Site: http://www.majin.tv/
Anticipation: Above average

This appears to be a shounen, and that is exactly why I have chosen this series. Can’t go without a shounen! I’m always on the lookout for new shounen to see if they’re good. Perhaps this one will be…Hiyu Tatsuma transfers to a new school, where he meets Horaiji Kyoichi of the kendo club, Daigo Yuya of the wresting club, Sakurai Komaki of the archery club, and Misato the student leader. They then somehow gain special powers, and at the same time, demons and those who control demons start appearing all over the place. And of course, Tatsuma and his friends have to defeat them…Sounds interesting, but then again, all shounen sound interesting to me, and if I watched them based on that, I would definitely be making a lot of mistakes. Still, this series seems a bit dark, and the main character is someone I can see myself liking. We’ll just have to see.

Ikkitousen: Dragon Destiny

First Air Date: 02/?? – ??:??
Genres: Action, comedy, ecchi, school life
Episodes: 13(?)
Studis: Arms, GENCO
Official Site: http://www.ikkitousen.com/
Anticipation: Above average

Ecchi? Martial art gals? Schools at war? One word: cool! Ok, I dunno about the schools at war thing, but this series is a sequel to Ikkitousen, which is about seven schools at constant battle with each other. Still, it looks promising. I just hope the producers don’t rely on fanservice to attract viewers. There should be some merit in the story! And nice, interesting character designs as well. I love the weapons too; can’t wait to see them in action. There seems to be quite a lot of new characters too. Now comes the question as to how well the show will be animated. The studios producing them aren’t ‘big’, at least I don’t think they are, so it will be questionable. At least a lot of the seiyuus are experienced.

Reideen

First Air Date: 03/?? – ??:??
Genres: Mecha, sci-fi
Episodes: –
Studio: Production I.G.
Official Site: http://www.reideen.jp/
Anticipation: High

Well, it’s mecha and looks cool, so that’s good enough for me! (Obviously I am a mecha fan). Although, it’s a remake of Yuusha Reideen, a mecha that aired in the 1970’s, so I have no idea what to expect. Saiga Junki, another ‘average high school boy’ who enjoys life like any other guy, finds a gold bracelet when travelling. At the same time, a meteor crashes onto the earth, and from it emerges some large beast. So I guess it’s the guy’s job to defeat this beast and other enemies. Junki is meant to shuffle between night-time battles and normal school life as well, so that will be interesting. Not much detail is known yet, but they will surely come when we get closer to March. Oh and this is a show aurabolt suggested.