Jinsei
7.6.2014
Romance, Comedy
Feel

Ughh.

Barakamon
7.6.2014
Comedy, Slice of Life
Kinema Citrus

Being exiled for punching a guy seems extreme, but whatever you gotta do with writing a manga to get MC out of their comfort zone, I suppose. I’m hopeful for this slice-of-life series that puts Seishuu Hanada on a small island as he tries to rediscover himself while dealing with the young Naru Kotoishi and others around the village. The relationship Seishuu seems to form with Naru is more comedic in nature at the start, but perhaps it will evolve to something more meaningful later on. Masaki Tachibana (Tokyo Magnitude 8.0) is directing, so I’m thinking Kinema Citrus might have something good here for the Summer ‘14 season.

GekkanShoujo Nozaki-kun
7.7.2014
Comedy, Romance
Doga Kobo

Doga Kobo is a studio I’ve been keeping an eye on, and it’s been paying off. Majestic Prince, GJ Club, Engaged to the Unidentified, and Love Lab were all shows that I really enjoyed, so after that track record, it’s safe to say I’m looking forward to their next work.

DRAMAtical Murder
7.7.2014
Mystery, Action
NAZ

This series is bound to be lost on non-BL fans for a few reasons. First, it’s BL. Second, the previous Nitro+ BL game adaptation, Togainu no Chi, did not turn out well. Third is writer Machida Touko whose resume includes Amnesia, a popularly bad anime we mention occasionally on the podcast. Fourth, NAZ hasn’t built up enough credit with Hamatora the Animation being its only work (and not really impressing). For the BL fans, the anime will surely filter out the actual BL business and shouldn’t expected to be the adaptation they dream for. Little to be expected of here.

Aldnoah.Zero
7.7.2014
Sci-fi, Mecha
A-1 Pictures

Of course this one is on my radar. Here we have an alternate history story that brings us a conflict between Earth and Mars. Of course, it features giant robots heavily. Gen Urobochi is credited as the original creator, so it’ll be interesting to see how director Ei Aoki and A-1 Pictures brings this to life.

Akame ga Kill!
7.7.2014
Action, Fantasy
White Fox

This series follows Tatsumi as certain events have put him in the Night Raid assassination group. White Fox has been keeping fluffy in 2014 (Sonico, Usagi Desu ka?), so I was looking forward to seeing something from them with some action and a more dramatic plot, but a straight-up shonen manga adaptation wasn’t what I was expecting. I appreciate White Fox more for their artistic capabilities versus their animation capabilities, so I’m curious to see if they’re up to the task of animating this well. As for the enjoyment of the story, I’m thinking that the characters will be the make-or-break element for people looking to warm up to Akame ga Kill. Some buxom ladies might help with attracting viewers in.

Hanayamata
7.8.2014
Slice of Life, Seinen
Madhouse

Even after reading the description for the show, I’m not really sure what it’s about. Something about a normal girl, a fairy, and some dance. That isn’t to say I’m not curious. It’s by Madhouse, and I’ve enjoyed their SoL/Sports anime Chihayafuru in the past, and I wouldn’t have been able to answer the question, “What is 100 Poets Karuta?” before watching that show. The director is Atsuko Ishizuka, and she was responsible for No Game No Life, which I love, and Sakurasou’s Pet Girl, which was a good show up until I dropped the hell out of it near the end because Aoyama is best girl and she didn’t deserve to have her heart broken like that YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!! *breathes heavily* I’m sorry, I just get a little butt hurt when I talk about that show. Anyway, Hanayamata! Let’s see what you’ve got.

Ao Haru Ride
7.8.2014
Romance, Drama
Production I.G

I am a sucker when it comes to sappy romance anime and Production I.G has produced some of the best. Ao Haru Ride is a teenage romance show to the max and if you are expecting anything else then you’ll be disappointed. If you love watching shows and getting pissed off at misunderstandings, then this one is right up your ally. I will enjoy being frustrated as their relationship falls apart. There isn’t much to say because most romances tend to have a fairly standard plot set up and this is no different. Still it has everything going for it, from cast to staff and even an ending from Fujifabric, so I am anticipating this anime quite a bit.

Re:Hamatora
7.8.2014
Action, Mystery
DAX Production

Not a show any of us watched, so not much to say about it.

Momokyun Sword
7.8.2014
Fantasy, Adventure
Project No. 9

It’s the well-known Japanese folk story of Momotaro the peach boy, except, you know, it’s a peach girl instead. My only thoughts are: How is it possible this wasn’t a thing yet, and I need to watch this.

Majimoji Rurumo
7.9.2014
Comedy, Fantasy
J.C. Staff

A comedy about a pervy boy who has to help a girl become a witch at the cost of his own life. It sounds a bit grim, but I assure you it’s a comedy. Verdicts still out on whether it’ll be funny or not.