Spring 2012 Anime Preview

Spring 2012 chart - courtesy of neregate.com

Spring anime season is closing by. Because of that, today I'd like to make a preview of the next season coming up next.


Uchuu Kyoudai

To infinity...And (maybe) beyond!

Synopsis : Once upon a time there were two brothers, Hibito and Mutta. Hibito, the littler brother, had been blessed with good luck since the day he was born. Mutta, the elder, had always had bad luck. One day, looking up at the night sky, the two brothers saw a UFO. This experience made them both promise to become astronauts.

In the year 2025, Hibito has kept his promise and become an astronaut, part of the first wave of people to live for an extended period of time on the moon. Meanwhile, his older brother Mutta has been fired from his job and is unemployed but one message from his brother makes him decide to start being an astronaut again.

Producer: A-1 Pictures

Genres: Sci-Fi, Seinen, Space,Slice of Life

Airdate : 1 April 2012
Website : uchukyodai.com

Notable staff : 

Director : Ayumu Watanabe (Doaremon - Nobita's Dinosaur (2006 film) )
Art Director : Hiroshi Kato (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)

Cast :

Hibito Namba - VA : Kenn (Ronald Knox -Kuroshitsuji II)

Mutta Namba - VA : Hiroaki Hirata (Sanji - One Piece)

Serika Itou - VA : Miyuki Sawashiro (Maria - Arakawa Under the Bridge)

Themes :

OP : "Feel so moon" by Unicorn

ED : (unknown title) by rake

PV:

Verdict : Maybe watching.

I'm waiting for a space-themed anime like this for a long time. If I got some time, I'd watch it.

Natsuiro Kiseki

Sphere....FUKKEN RIGHT.

Synopsis : Original anime featuring the four members of Sphere as voice actresses.
(No more details for now, duh)

Producer : Sunrise

Genre : Slice of Life

Airdate : 5 April 2012
Website : natsuiro-kiseki.jp

Notable staff :
Director : Seiji Mizushima (UN-GO)
Script : Sadayuki Murai (Kino no Tabi)

Cast :

Natsumi Aizawa - VA : Minato Kotobuki (Tsumugi Kotobuki - K-ON!)

Yuka Hanaki - VA : Haruka Tomatsu (Msyu - C : The Money of Soul and Possibilty Control)

Saki Mizukoshi - VA : Ayahi Takagaki (Feldt Grace - Mobile Suit Gundam 00)

Rinko Tamaki - VA : Aki Toyosaki (Inga - UN-GO)

Themes :

OP : "Non stop road" - Sphere

ED : "Ashita e no Kaerimichi" - Sphere

Both songs are released at 25th of April.

PV:

Verdict : A must watch...for Sphere fans.

Personally, as a Sphere fan, I've been waiting for this anime to air after its announcement. I think this will be interesting. And yes, the lace on their skirts looks cute.

Jormungrand

No commenta! Too good to be true!

Synopsis :
The series follows Koko Hekmatyar, a young arms dealer who sells weapons under HCLI, a weapons corporation.
As one of the company's unofficial weapon sellers, she secretly sells weapons in many countries while avoiding the local authorities and law enforcements as most of her work is actually illegal under international law. Traveling with her is her team of bodyguards who are mostly composed of ex-military veterans.
Her latest addition to her crew is Jonah, a seemingly emotionless child soldier who is skilled in combat yet ironically hates arms dealers. Jonah joins Koko as he wishes to find the arms dealer responsible for his family's death. What follows is Koko and her crews escapades around the world.

Producer : WHITE FOX

Genre : Action, Adventure, Seinen

Airdate : 11 April 2012
Website :  jormungand.tv

Notable Staff :
Script, Series Composition : Yousuke Kuroda (Mobile Suit Gundam 00)
Director : Keitarou Motonaga (Majikoi)

Cast :

Jonathan - VA : Mutsumi Tamura (Sonya -Kill Me Baby)

Lehm - VA : Unsho Ishizuka (Bunta Fujiwara - Initial D)

Koko Hetmatyar - VA: Shizuka Itou (Haruka Morishima - Amagami SS)

Sofia Valmet - VA: Sayaka Ohara (Erza Scarlet - FAIRY TAIL)

Themes :
OP : "Borderland" by Mami Kawada
ED : "Ambivalentidea" by Nagi Yanagi 

Verdict : May watch.

The premise sounds interesting. Will check if I got time.

Medaka Box

Medaka should close her cleavage, really. But that's impossible.

Synopsis : Kurokami Medaka, a first year, is elected as Student Council President, and the first thing she does is establish a suggestion box, later dubbed by students the "Medaka Box". Medaka encourages students to submit any problem to the box without hesitation and promises to take on any issue from anyone.

Since Medaka won the Student Council elections with a staggering 98% of the vote, she ends up as the Council's only member. She asks her childhood friend, Hitoyoshi Zenkichi, for help and he grudgingly agrees, becoming the Student Council's lowest ranking member. Soon Medaka recruits two more people to the Student Council, the former judo club member Akune Kouki as secretary and the current swim club member Kikaijima Mogana, on loan for 300 yen a day, as treasurer.

Now the Student Council members spend their days solving the problems submitted through the Medaka Box, whether they be hooligans in clubs where they don't belong, girls who need help writing love letters or people who've lost their pets, gradually earning the respect and admiration of the entire school.

Producer : GAINAX

Genre : Action, Comedy, Ecchi, School, Martial Arts, Shounen

Airdate : 5 April 2012
Website :  medakabox.jp

Cast :

Medaka Kurokami - VA : Aki Toyosaki (Yui Hirasawa - K-ON!)

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi - VA : Yuuki Ono (Kaname Tsukahara - Kimi to Boku.)

Mogana Kikanjima - VA : Ai Kayano (Hibino Shiba - Kamisama Dolls)

Kouki Akune - VA : Daisuke Namikawa (Yu Narukami - Persona 4 the Animation)

Hansode Shiranui - VA : Emiri Kato (Mayoi Hachikuji - Bakemonogatari)

Themes :

OP : "HAPPY CRAZY BOX" by Minami Kuribayashi

ED : "Ohanabatake ni Tsuretette" by Aki Toyosaki (WUT!?)

Verdict : WATCH IT!

Well, haven't read the manga yet, though, so it is better to watch the anime when it came out. AND THE CAST IS EXTREMELY EPIC. DAMN RIGHT.

Fate/Zero 2nd season

Grr..... Looks cool. Saber looks fabulous with that background.

Synopsis :

Second season of Fate/Zero. Fate/Zero takes place 10 years prior to the events of Fate/stay night, detailing the events of the 4th Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. The War of the Holy Grail is a contest in which seven magi summon seven Heroic Spirits to compete to obtain the power of the "Holy Grail," which grants a miracle. After three inconclusive wars for the elusive Holy Grail, the Fourth War commences.

Producer : ufotable

Genre : Action, Fantasy, Supernatural

Airdate : 8 April 2012
Website : fate-zero.jp

Cast : 

Still same with the first season.

Saber - VA : Ayako Kawasumi (Megumi Noda - Nodame Cantabile)

Emiya Kiritsugu - VA : Rikiya Koyama (Gen Takekura - Eyeshield 21)

Kirei Kotomine - VA : Jouji Nakata (Giroro - Keroro Gunsou)

Irisviel von Einzbern - VA : Sayaka Ohara (Margaret - Persona 4 the Animation)

Theme : 

OP : "to the beginning" by Kalafina (DAMN RIGHT!)

ED : "Sora wa Takaku Kaze wa Utau" by Luna Haruna

Verdict : A must watch.

Too bad I haven't watch the first season yet, so I need to catch up fast.

Sankarea

Synopsis : 

Furuya's obsessed with zombies. He collects any figurines, watches any movie, and plays any game with the living dead, and is even only interested in zombie girls. When his cat dies, Furuya begins trying to raise it from the dead using an ancient book of the occult he bought from a shop. But what will happen when he sees the idol of a nearby all girl's school walking close to where he conducts his experiment, wishing to die and be reborn as a different person?


Producer : Studio DEEN
Genre : Comedy, Ecchi, Horror, Romance, Shounen
Airdate : 6 April 2012
Website : tbs.co.jp/anime/sankarea


Notable staff :
Music : Yukari Hashimoto (Mayo Chiki!)
Series Compostition : Noboru Takagi (Durarara!)

Cast :
Chihiro Furuya - VA : Ryohei Kimura (Aki Kuga - Kamisama Dolls)
Sanka Rea - VA : Maaya Uchida (Ai Nanasato - Gokujo.)
Ranko Saaouji - VA : Sayuri Yahagi (Miyoshi Kaya - Bakuman)
Baabu - VA : Misato Fukuen (Yoshika Miyafuji - Strike Witches)

Theme :
OP : "Esoragoto" by nano.RIPE (Aha! the 2nd anime to get a theme from this band!)
ED : not yet announced

PV

Verdict : WATCH IT!
Seriously, this thing is so interesting to be watched. But the name of Studio DEEN is giving me some doubts... I'm traumatized by the tediousness of Nurarihyon no Mago. Dunno why.

Tsuritama

Fishing?

Synopsis : The setting is Shonan, Enoshima. A town where the nostalgic and the fresh coexist.
All his life, high school student Yuki has never had a friend of his own, because he's freakishly inept at communicating with others. Haru, a self-proclaimed alien from outer space, is trying to get him to go fishing. Natsuki is a local boy born and raised in Enoshima, who always seems to be annoyed by whatever's going on around him. Akira is a mysterious Indian boy who watches over them all, while maintaining a cautious distance. These four angst-filled teenagers meet and go fishing; and their tiny island takes center stage in an epic story... This is where it all starts - their SF (= Seishun Fishing) story!


Producer : A-1 Pictures
Genre : Sci-Fi, Fishing
Airdate : 13 April 2012
Website : tsuritama.com

Notable staff :
Director : Kenji Nakamura (Kuuchuu Buranko)
Series Composition : Toshiya Oono (Suite Precure)

Cast :
Haru - VA : Miyu Irino (Sena Kobayakawa - Eyeshield 21)
Yuki Sanada -  VA :  Ryota Ohsaka (This is his first role)
Natsuki Usami - VA : Kouki Uchiyama (Banagher Links - Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn)
Akira Agarkar Yamada - VA : Tomokazu Sugita (Sakata Gintoki - Gintama)

Themes :
OP : "Tsurezure Monochrome" by Fujifabric
ED : not yet announced

PV

Verdict : May watch.
Another original anime of noitamina? Sounds good to me.
 
Tasogare Otome X Amnesia (Dusk Maiden of Amnesia)

OMG. Yuko!

Synopsis :  Seikyou Private Academy, a school as complex as a labyrinth, after perpetual expansions. One day, a middle school freshman, Teiichi Niiya, finds himself lost in the old school building, and in the room he happens to wander into, he encounters Yuko Kanoe, a girl with a mysterious aura around her. She calls herself  “The ghost of the old school building”.
To help Yuko, who can't remember her own past, Teiichi and Yuko form the Paranormal Investigation Club, and set to unravel the mysteries behind the paranormal stories passed down at their school.

Producer : SILVER LINK
Genre : Mystery, School, Shounen, Supernatural
Airdate : 5 April 2012
Website : amnesia-tv.com


Notable staff :
Director : Shin Onuma (Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu)
Series Composition : Katsuhiko Takayama (Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu)

Cast : 
Yuko Kanoe - VA : Yumi Hara (Takane Shijou - The IDOLM@STER)
Teiichi Niiya - VA : Tsubasa Yonaga (Aichi Sendou - Cardfight!! Vanguard)
Momoe Okonogi - VA : Misato Fukuen (Utao Kuga - Kamisama Dolls)
Kirie Kanoe - VA : Eri Kitamura (Yachiyo Todoroki - Working!)

Themes :
OP : "Choir Jail" by Konomi Suzuki
ED : "Calendrier" by Aki Okui

PV

Verdict : WATCH!
Well, the existence of Silver Link here makes this anime interesting. Could this thing be as good as Baka to Test?


Kuroko no Basket

Gosh. Another basket anime!

Synopsis : Kuroko is a member from the legendary middle school basketball team known as "The Generation of Miracles", and while nobody seems to know about him, the main 5 players of the team all admit that he is a better player. When he joins the high school basketball team, everyone is surprised to find out that he is small, weak, and easy to miss. What is the secret that makes him so strong, and how will he help his high school team?

Producer : Production I.G
Genre : Comedy, School, Sports, Shounen
Airdate : 7 April 2012
Website : kurobas.com

Notable staff :
Director : Shunsuke Tada (Bungaku Shoujo)
Script : Noboru Takagi (Baccano!)

Cast :
Taiga Kagami - VA : Yuuki Ono (Shigeshige "Shogun" Tokugawa - Gintama)
Tetsuya Kuroko - VA : Kensho Ono (Jun Tendo - Onigamiden)
Riko Aida - VA : Chiwa Saito (Akemi Homura - Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica)

Themes:
OP : "Can Do" by GRANRODEO
ED : "Start it right away" by Hyadain (Kenichi Maeyamada)

PV

Verdict : Wait for others to watch.
Thepromise looks interesting, but I think I'd like to wait for response from others after they watch this. If good, I'll follow the anime.

Upotte!!

Synopsis : At Seishou Academy, a newly transferred teacher discovers that girls like Funco always aim to do their best and shoot for their goals, often literally with live ammo. Because these girls aren't just expert shooters, they are the guns, in human form.

Producer : XEBEC
Genre : Action, Comedy, Seinen
Airdate : 7 April 2012
Website : upotte.jp

Notable staff :
Director : Takao Kato (Busou Renkin)
Script : Naruhisa Arakawa (Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai!)

Cast :
FNC "Funco" (FN FNC) - VA : Iori Nomizu (Haruna - Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?)
M16A4 - VA : Misuzu Togashi (Mai Minakami - Nichijou)
L85A1 - VA : Misato (Tamamura - Nichijou)
SG550 - VA : Kaori Sadohara (Annaka - Nichijou)

Note : Other than Nomizu and Togashi, those guys are still quite new and they haven't get a lot of voicing jobs yet.

Themes : (Unknown)

PV :

Verdict : May watch.
The idea of mixing guns with cute girls is just right. Unfortunately, it is aired as an ONA, which makes it a bit out of light.

Eureka Seven AO

My goodness, one of my favorite anime got a sequel!

Synopsis : The story is set on Okinawa's isolated island of Iwado, which has seen a growing movement advocating a return to an autonomous government. Ao Fukai, a 13-year-old boy with a missing father, lives on the island with an old doctor named Toshio and is about to enter middle school. Ao's mother was taken away a decade ago by unknown individuals. Naru Arata, Ao's 13-year-old childhood friend and the story's heroine, lives with her father, older sister, and grandmother. She has a "Yuta" power awakened within her due to an incident when she was young.

A mysterious entity called "Secret" suddenly appears and launches an attack on the Scub Coral lifeform on the island. Ao launches a certain military FP called "Nirvash" aboard a Japanese military transport in his fervent desire to protect the island.


Producer : Bones
Genre : Action, Adventure, Mecha, Sci-Fi, Drama
Airdate : 12 April 2012
Website : eurekaao-prj.net

Notable staff :
Director : Kyoda Tomoki (The original Eureka Seven)
Music : Koji Nakamura (The original Eureka Seven)

Cast :
Ao Fukai - VA : Yuutaro Honjou (Ren Karas - Elementhunters)
Naru Arata - VA : Kanako Miyamoto (Rene Collette - Last Exile : Ginyoku no Fam)
Truth - VA : Kazuhiko Inoue (Kakashi Hatake - NARUTO)

Themes :
OP : "Escape" by Hemenway
ED : "stand by me" by Stereopony

PV :

Verdict : Just WATCH IT!
My goodness, who doesn't wanna watch the sequel of the BONES' masterpiece anime? If not, you're not right in the head. Really.

ZETMAN

This is just extremely cool. Can't find a better word to describe this.

Synopsis : The story starts off with a face-off between two rival heroes, ZET and ALPHAS, and then traces their origins - Jin Kanzaki, a young man with the ability to transform into a superhuman being known as ZET, and Kouga Amagi, a young man with a strong sense of justice who uses technology to fight as ALPHAS.

The fates of these two men and those around them intertwine as they fight to protect mankind and destroy monstrous abominations known as Players, who ironically are the creations of the Amagi Corporation, the company founded by Kouga’s grandfather, Mitsugai Amagi.

Producer : TMS Entertainment
Genre : Action, Seinen, Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Airdate : 3 April 2012
Website : zetman.jp

Notable staff :
Script : Atsuhiro Tomioka (Samurai 7)
Sound Director : Takashi Takadera (Kamisama Dolls)

Cast :
Kouga Amagi - VA : Mamoru Miyano (Okabe Rintaro - Steins;Gate) / Yuki Kaida (Shuusuke Fuji - {Prince of Tennis)
Konoha Amagi - VA : Kana Hanazawa (Sengoku Nadeko - Bakemonogatari)
Jin Kanzaki - VA : Romi Paku (Naoto Shirogane - Persona 4 the Animation) / Daisuke Namikawa (Miyamoto Musashi  - Sengoku BASARA)
Hanako Tanaka - VA : Mariya Ise (Saki Kirishima - Yumekui Merry)

Themes :
OP : "dots and lines" by You Hitoto feat. Mummy-D
ED :  "Tomeru (とめる)" by You Hitoto

PV

Verdict : Maybe watching.
Well, I can't really say to much about this anime. But the cast is just godly.

Accel World

I just can't complain.

Synopsis : One autumn day in 2046, Haruyuki has an encounter with Kuroyukihime, the prettiest girl in his school. For the middle school boy who is often bullied, the meeting changes his life. Through a mysterious piece of software from her, Haruyuki learns of the existence of the virtual Accel World. In that moment, the lowest of the "school caste" becomes "Burst Linker", a knight defending a princess.

Producer : Sunrise
Genre : Action, Romance, Sci-Fi, School
Airdate : 7 April 2012
Website :  accel-world.net

Notable staff :
Sound Director : Yota Tsuruoka (Arakawa Under the Bridge)
Director : Masakazu Obara (Mai - HiME)

Cast :
Haruyuki Arita - VA : Yuki Kaji (Finnian - Kuroshitsuji)
Kuroyukihime - VA : Sachika Misawa (Yuri Gamagoori - Shangri-La)
Chiyuri Kurashima - VA : Aki Toyosaki (Uiharu Kazari - Toaru Kagaku no Railgun)
Takumu Mayuzumi - VA : Shintaro Asanuma (Sunda Granitz - Fractale)

Themes :
OP : "Chase the world" by May'n
ED : "→unfinished→" by KOTOKO

PV

Verdict : WATCH!
I've read the manga a bit, and it's so interesting. The idea of giving the worst guy becoming the best in something else is quite old, but this story is should be a watchlist.

Hyouka

A mystery anime? Sounds like an interesting theme.

Synopsis : Oreki Hotaro is a high school boy, who always acts passively. One day, he enters "Koten Bu (Classic Literature Club)" as recommended by his elder sister.

There he meets Chitanda Eru, Fukube Satoshi, and Ibara Mayaka. Chitanda is a calm beautiful girl but she turns into an embodiment of curiosity once she says, "I'm interested in it (Watashi, Kininarimasu)". Fukube is a smiling boy with a fantastic memory, he never deduces anything on his own. Ibara is a short girl and is strict with others and herself. She loves Fukube, but he always dodges her approaches.

They begin to investigate a case that occurred 33 years ago. Hints of the mystery are buried in an old collection of works of the former members of Koten Club. The collection is titled "Hyouka"

Producer : Kyoto Animation
Genre : Mystery
Airdate : 22 April 2012
Website : kyotoanimation.co.jp/kotenbu/

Notable staff :
Director : Yasuhiro Takemoto (The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya)
Music  : Kouhei Tanaka (One Piece)

Cast :
Eru Chitanda - VA : Satomi Satou (Ritsu Tainaka - K-ON!)
Satoshi Fukube - VA : Daisuke Sakaguchi (Shimura Shinpachi - Gintama)
Mayaka Ibara - VA : Ai Kayano (Meiko Honma - AnoHana)
Houtarou Oreki - VA : Yuuichi Nakamura (Okazaki Tomoya - Clannad)

Themes :
*not yet found*

PV

Verdict : May watch.
Well, the anime is quite mysterious in the details, but the name of Kyoto Animation should be a guarantee in quality.

AKB0048

Idols? I hope this is just as good as The IDOLM@STER.

Synopsis : In the beginning of the 21st century, a world war breaks out over interplanetary travel tech. The environment is pretty much destroyed so mankind leaves Earth and starts Star Calendar 00. Entertainment and songs become heavily regulated and eventually banned due to their power to move people, but a brave idol group puts on guerrilla performances in the name of a famous act from earlier times that sang to Earth's bitter end, AKB48. The illegal revival group's name is... AKB0048.


Producer : Satelight
Genre : Music
Airdate : 29 April 2012
Website : akb0048.jp

Notable staff :
Director : Shoji Kawamori (Macross series)
Series Composition : Mari Okada (Hanasaku Iroha)

Cast :
Haruna Kojima - VA : Mamiko Noto (Tomoe Wajima - Hanasaku Iroha)
Chieri Sono - VA : Mayu Watanabe
Sayaka Akimoto - VA : Ayako Kawasumi (Kazumi Yoshida - Shakugan no Shana)
Yuki Kashiwagi - VA : Yui Horie (Hanyuu - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni)
Minori Kishida - VA : Sumire Sato
(and many more, there are lots of them)

Themes :
*not yet found*

PV

Verdict : May watch.
If you're quite a fans of AKB48, you might wanna try this.

Acchi Kocchi

Looks romantic.

Synopsis : Wouldn't you just love to poke in a relationship between two young high schoolers who have a subtle distance between each other? Of course you would. Tsumiki and Io have this subtle distance that anyone would want to jump in between just to bug them. That's what the other characters are there for. Tsumiki, being a tsundere and all, won't be honest about her feelings toward Io. Io on the other hand is unaware of Tsumiki's feelings, hence the subtle distance between the two. Now, let's watch these two and see what events await them...


Producer : AIC
Genre : Romance, School, Seinen
Airdate : 6 April 2012
Website : tbs.co.jp/anime/ackc/


Notable staff :
Director : Fumitoshi Oizaki (Romeo X Juliet)
Sound Director : Yoshikazu Iwanami (Baccano!)


Cast :

Tsumiki Miniwa - VA : Rumi Ookubo (Chinatsu Yoshikawa - YuruYuri)
Io Otonashi - VA : Nobuhiko Okamoto (Eiji Niizuma - Bakuman.)
Hime Haruno - VA : Kaori Fukuhara (Run - A Channel)

Themes :
OP : "Acchi de Kocchi de (あっちでこっちで)" by Acchi⇔Kocchi (あっち⇔こっち)
ED :  "Te wo Gyu Shite ne (手をギュしてね)" by Tsumiki Miniwa (Rumi Ookubo)

PV

Verdict : May watch.
Is this a "calming" romance story? Or with lots of intrigues? I can't really explain it. Let's just wait and see.

Saint Seiya Omega

My goodness. Yet another Saint Seiya after more than 20 years.

Synopsis : The first Saint Seiya anime in the 21st century. It will have original story and new characters.

Producer : TOEI Animation
Genre : Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Shounen
Airdate : 1 April 2012
Website :  tv-asahi.co.jp/seiya-koga/ (TV Asahi's web) toei-anim.co.jp/tv/seiya/ (TOEI's web)

Notable staff :
Character Design : Yoshihiko Umakoshi (Casshern Sins)
Series Composition : Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!)

Cast :
Pegasus Koga - VA : Hikaru Midorikawa (Keikain Hidemoto - Nurarihyon no Mago)
Pegasus/Sagittarius Seiya - VA : Toru Furuya (Also the VA of the original Saint Seiya anime as Seiya)
Yuna - VA : Satsuki Yukino (Tae Shimura - Gintama)
Souma - VA : Katsuyuki Konishi (Tatsumi Oga - Beelzebub)

Themes :
*not yet found*

PV

Verdict : Should watch.
An original story can sound good or bad. But I think this won't flop.

Shining Hearts : Shiawase no Pan

Tony Taka's epic illustrations strikes again!

Synopsis : One day, a mysterious girl named Kaguya was washed ashore the island of Wyndaria after a great storm. She encounters Rick, a swordsman who wound up working at the island's bakery. Apparently, Kaguya is suffering from having lost her memories and emotions. In addition, the usually peaceful Wyndaria is now swarming with pirates who came seeking for the special spirit stone that is worn around Kaguya's neck. Knowing the situation, Rick and his co-workers, Nellis, Amyl, and Aerie decided to bring back peace to island and help Kaguya regain her lost memories and emotions.

Producer : Production I.G
Genre : Action, Fantasy
Airdate : 13 April 2012
Website : shining-world.jp/heartsTV/

Notable staff :
Script, Director : Itsuro Kawasaki (Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone Complex)
Original Character Design : Tony Taka

Cast :
Rick Elwood - VA : Hiroshi Kamiya (Koyomi Araragi -Bakemonogatari)
Kaguya - VA : Kuwashima Houko (Sui-Feng/Soi-Fon - BLEACH)
Airy Ardet - VA : Shiori Mikami (Akaza "Akarin" Akari - YuruYuri)
Neris Filiam - VA : Mai Aizawa (Mio Naganohara - Nichijou)

Themes :
*not yet found*

PV

Verdict : Watch this.
I haven't played the game yet, but the illustration makes me interested, really. IT'S TONY TAKA, DUDE!


Sakamichi no Apollon

Friendship, love, and MUSIC? Really?

Synopsis : The beginning of summer, 1966.

Because of his father’s job situation, freshman high school student Kaoru Nishimi moves by himself from Yokosuka to Kyushu to live with relatives. Until then, Kaoru was an honor roll student who tended to keep to himself, but meeting notorious bad boy Sentaro Kawabuchi starts to change him. Through his devil-may-care classmate, Kaoru learns the attractions of jazz and finds the first person he can call a “friend”. He also discovers how much fun it is to play music with a pal.

Other characters include Sentaro’s kind childhood chum, Ritsuko, who is the daughter of a record shop owner; the mysterious upperclassman, Yurika; and Brother Jun, the much-admired leader among their peers. Set against the backdrop of a seaside town with a scent of American culture, this series is a drama about young people coming into their own, crossing each other’s paths, and finding friendship, love, and music!

Producer : Tezuka Productions, MAPPA
Genre : Drama, Historical, Slice of Life, Romance, Josei (oh well)
Airdate : 13 April 2012
Website : noitamina-apollon.com (Yes, this is a noitaminA anime)

Notable staff :
Director : Shinchiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop)
Music : Yoko Kanno (Macross series)

Cast :
Sentarou Kawabuchi - VA :  Yoshimasa Hosoya (Nezumi - No.6)
Ritsuko Kamae - VA : Yuuka Nanri (Saori Chiba - Hourou Musuko)
Kaoru Nishimi - VA : Ryohei Kimura (Kodaka Hasegawa - Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai)

Themes :
OP : "Sakamichi no Melody (坂道のメロディ)" by YUKI
ED : "Altair (アルタイル)" by Motohiro Hata meets Sakamichi no Apollon

PV

Verdict : Pick it? Or not?
Honestly, I'm seriously confused by this anime. But the staff is just... MIGHTY. Look, there's Kanno-san there on the music!

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead (Jigoku-hen)

Another season, another fun?

Synopsis : Who expects a cross-dressing protagonist? Or the “Eu Delusion System” where the heroine's voice actor changes? Or candid commercials causing controversy? Or anything else in the chaotic developments of this does-as-it-pleases-with-reckless-abandon show?

And now, after doing surprisingly well and gaining fame, “Is This a Zombie?” is transforming into a High School Love Comedy with 250% more love! (Taken from ANN)


Producer : Studio DEEN
Genre : Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Magic
Airdate : 4 April 2012
Website : newtype.kadocomic.jp/zombie/

Notable staff :
Director : Takaomi Kanasaki (Macademi Wasshoi!)
Series Composition : Makoto Uezu  (School Days)

Cast :
Ayumu Aikawa - VA : Junji Majima (Ryuuji Takasu - Toradora!)
Haruna - VA : Iori Nomizu (Nymph - Sora no Otoshimono)
Sarasvati - VA : Aya Gouda (Taketo Akutagawa - R-15)
Seraphim - VA : Youko Hikasa (Houki Shinonono - Infinite Stratos)

Themes :
OP : "*** Passionate (***パショナート)" by Iori Nomizu
ED : "Koi no Beginner Nan Desu (T_T) (恋のビギナーなんです（T_T）)" by Rie Yamaguchi

PV

Verdict : Maybe watching
Haven't watch the first season yet, I can't really say anything for this anime.

Cardfight!! Vanguard : Asia Circuit (Season 2)

Promising? Maybe yes.

Synopsis : The protagonist of this story, Sendo Aichi, is a timid boy in his third year of middle school. He had been living his life looking backward rather than forward, trying not to stand out. However, he had one thing that kept him going - the "Blaster Blade," a card from a card game that was given to him when he was little. That card is the reason why he begins to engage in Card Fights, something that changes his life drastically.

The name of the card game is "Vanguard." The game takes place in a different planet called "Klay," and due to a never before seen play system, it becomes popular throughout the world.

Aichi, immediately attracted by Vanguard, meets friends such as Togura Misaki and Katsuragi Kamui, along with other rivals. Through friendly rivalry with them, Aichi begins to enjoy a fulfilling life. Aichi, however, has a goal: to once again battle with a Vanguard Fighter by the name of Kai Tosihki. Kai Toshiki is an aloof and cold-hearted high schooler who has outstanding abilities in the world of Vanguard. He is also the reason why Aichi started playing the game. For him, Toshiki is the person who saved him from his boring life and introduced him to Vanguard. In order to get better at Vanguard, Aichi puts his soul into it every day. He wishes that someday, he'll be able to battle Toshiki and have him recognize his worth.

The Asia Circuit is a huge tournament where Aichi, Kai, Misaki, Kamui and Ren have to travel around Asia to fight different fighters. The first tournament will be in Singapore. The other side characters like Miwa, Morikawa, etc will be left in Japan and Miwa will be looking after Card Capital, as the Acting Shop Owner, during the Tournament Period.
Producer : TMS Entertainment
Genre : Action,Game,Shounen
Airdate : 8 April 2012
Website : www.tv-aichi.co.jp/cf-vanguard/

Notable staff :
Director : Hatsuki Tsuji (Akazukin Chacha)
Storyboard : Shigeru Kimiya (Gift : Eternal Rainbow)

Cast :
Aichi Sendou - VA : Tsubasa Yonaga (Jun Yamamoto - Special A)
Kai Toshiki - Takuya Satou (Dagymer Mest - Isekai no Sekishi Monogatari)
Kamui Katsuragi - VA : Shizuka Ishikawa (Inari - Naruto)
Ren Suzugamori - VA : Atsushi Abe (Kouichi Sakakibara - Another)

Themes :
OP : "LIMIT BREAK" by JAM Project (OMG)
ED : "Jounetsu-izm (情熱イズム)" by Rin (凛)

PV
*still looking for one*

Verdict : Take it... if you like it.
I can't say anything. If you like the card game and you have one, watch it.

Saki : Achiga-hen - Episode of Side A

Another Saki project... without Saki as the main character.

Synopsis : The Achiga Girls' Academy in Nara once defeated regional mahjong powerhouse Bansei High School. It advanced into the national team semifinals but lost to the eventual champion, and the mahjong club was later disbanded.

Six years later, elementary school student Shizuno Takakamo befriends transfer student Nodoka Haramura. The two eventually enter Achiga Girls', but Nodoka transfers out of the school in the second year.

When Shizuno sees Nodoka on television the following year as the national middle school individual mahjong champion, she decides to revive Achiga's mahjong club.

Producer : Studio Gokumi
Genre : Game,School, Slice of Life
Airdate : 8 April 2012
Website : gangan.square-enix.co.jp/introduction/saki_side_a/

Notable staff :
Director : Manabu Ono (A Channel)
Script : Tatsuhiko Urahata (D. Gray-Man)

Cast :
Harue Akado - VA : Hisako Kanemoto (Ika-Musume - Shinryaku! Ika Musume)
Ako Atarashi - VA : Nao Touyama (Kanon Nakagawa - The World God Only Knows)
Kuro Matsumi - VA : Kana Hanazawa (Hanato Kobato - Kobato.)
Yuu Matsumi - VA : MAKO/Mako Sakurai (Kanna Aoyagi - Koe de Oshigoto!)
Shizuno Takakamo - VA : Yuuki Aoi (Giselle Colette - Last Exile : Ginyoku no Fam)


Themes :
OP : "MIRACLE RUSH" by StylipS
ED : "Square Panic Serenade" by Aoi Yuuki, Nao Touyama, Kana Hanazawa, MAKO, and Yumi Uchiyama

PV

Verdict : Should have watch this.
Seriously, I like the anime, but I just haven't got the chance to watch it.