Spring 2011 Anime Season Part 1

I would like to begin this post with a tale.

Once upon a time, there was blogger clacking away at her computer, finishing up her Spring 2011 Anime Season guide. She spotted a sentence that she wanted to delete but somehow, instead of merely deleting that one sentence, she deleted the bulk of her post and Blogger saved her draft before she could click "Undo." The blogger stared at her computer in disbelief, clicking "Undo" a few times more before letting it sink in. She decided that, at least, she could post half of her guide (including the bottom of her original post that hadn't been deleted) the following day, and post the other half in a separate post.

And she lived Happily Ever After, without punching her computer screen in pointless frustration.

So again, I hope this listing of shows is helpful! This half of the guide happens to be the one with all of the yuri and yaoi content for this season. For yuri, there's the not-terribly-satisfying Kämpfer für die Liebe and (possibly) Sengoku Otome. (There are other shows that other people would count that I am not counting. ^^) For yaoi, there's Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi, about two men who get together while working at a publishing company. (How I would love another yuri-centric manga to be animated. <- Inevitable gripe.) 

As with every season, there's a lot of crap, but with so many shows airing, there has to be some gold in these here hills.

Kami Nomi Zo Shiru Sekai II ("The World God Only Knows II"):

The continued adventures of Elcy, a cute demon from hell, and Keima, the galge otaku she mistakenly recruits to capture the hearts of real women so she can exorcise them. Plus a new character.

What I tried of the first season was surprisingly not bad. It struck me as a silly, good natured riff on galge stereotypes and otaku.

Itou Kanae, Toyosaki Aki, Taketatsu Ayana, Asumi Kana, and Tanaka Atsuko have roles.

Air date: April 11

Kämpfer für die Liebe ("Fighter for Love"):

More of a special than a TV series.... The two episode sequel to Kämpfer, which means more of our favorite lesbian-girl-next-door-turned-comically-evil-villain Sakura, the Entrails Animals, and the usual crowd of half-naked girls fighting over Natsuru.

Both episodes were screened at a fan event on March 6, but one episode will air on TV on March 31.

PV streaming here.

More Nakajima Megumi, Horie Yui, Inoue Marina, Noto Mamiko, Mizuki Nana, Tamura Yukari, Nazuka Kaori, and Asumi Kana.

Maria Holic Alive:

Yay, my favorite show from 2009 is back!! :D <3 <3 <3 I'm so happy that enough people supported Maria Holic to give it a second season.

Air date: April 7

Metal Fight Beyblade 4D:

More Beyblade. This season doesn't sound any different from any other Beyblade season, going by the series descriptions.

Air date: April 3

Moshidora (short for "Moshi Koukou Yakyuu no Joshi Manager ga Drucker no Management wo Yondara", or "What If the Female Manager of a High School Baseball Team Read Drucker's 'Management'?"):

Based on the best-selling book in Japan in 2010.

"A high school girl named Minami Kawashima becomes the baseball team manager at Tokyo's Hodokubo High School. Minami accidentally comes across Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices - a classic 1973 book about successful management practice by the Austrian-American management guru Peter F. Drucker - and decides to apply the book's principles to lead her team to the final goal, or the coveted Koshien National High School Baseball Championship."

Moshidora was originally supposed to air from March 14-25 (one episode per day), but it has been put on hold because of the situation in Japan. Whenever it airs, I'm interested in seeing what made this story such a hot seller.

PV streaming here.

Hanazawa Kana and Hikasa Youko have roles.

Nichijou ("Everyday Life"):

KyoAni's newest offering. "While the title suggests a story of simple, everyday school life, the contents are more the opposite. The setting is a strange school where you may see the principal wrestle a deer or a robot's arm hide a rollcake. However there are still normal stories, like making a card castle or taking a test you didn't study for."

Could be good for some light, slightly offbeat slice-of-life.

PV streaming here.

Air date: April 2

Oretachi ni Tsubasa ha Nai ("We Don't Have Wings") - under the innocent sky:

A dating sim adaptation about a group of high schoolers, set in winter.

Pass.

A trailer is available here.

Goto Yuko and Sugita Tomokazu have roles.

Air date: April 4

Pretty Rhythm: Aurora Dream:

"The Prism Show is an all-new kind of ice skating show that requires its participants to be figure skaters, models, and singers all at the same time. Aira and Rhythm are two girls who both dream of becoming the Prism Queen. They'll have to train hard and overcome both their quarrels with each other and their blossoming interest in boys if they want to achieve their dream."

Before I read that this is based on an arcade game aimed at girls, I thought it was another moe idol otaku show. The "interest in boys" bit should have tipped me off.

Asumi Kana and Itou Kanae have roles.

Air date: April 9

Ring ni Kakero 1: Sekai Taikai-hen ("Put It All in the Ring 1: World Tournament Chapter"):

The latest season of Toei's adaptation of a boxing tournament manga by the creator of Saint Seiya. Doesn't interest me.

"After defeating Black Shaft's makeshift Team USA and proving their worth to the Shadow Clan, Team Golden Japan Jr. will finally enter the World Jr. Boxing Tournament. In order to fulfill their goal of a perfect victory they'll have to take on teams from countries like Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, and the mysterious and godlike Team Greece."

Tanaka Rie, Midorikawa Hikaru, Nakai Kazuya, and Kamiya Hiroshi have roles.

Air date: April 10

Seikon no Qwaser ("Qwaser of Stigmata") season 2:

Ugh.

Air date: April 11

Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi ("World's First Love"):

From the creator of Junjo Romantica.

"Onodera Ritsu has just transferred from his father's publishing company to Marukawa Shoten. Assigned to the shoujo manga division, he crosses path with the person he'd least expected to meet. Takano Masamune is the editor-in-chief of the division Ritsu's been assigned to, and the two seem get off on the wrong foot right from the very start when Takano unexpectedly kisses him. However, there is more to than what meets the eye... Takano is actually Saga, Ritsu's senpai and high school love-- whom Ritsu had thought to have played him for a fool by taking his affections for granted when he confessed and summarily dumped him."

I really didn't like the first episode that I tried of Junjo Romantica, but I'm willing to give Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi a shot. The description sounds cute, and having the characters work in the shoujo manga industry gives the story potential for some fun meta-commentary.

Konishi Katsuyuki, Nakamura Yuuichi, Midorikawa Hikaru, and Kamiya Hiroshi have roles.

Air date: April 8

Sengoku Otome: Momoiro Paradox ("Sengoku Maidens: Pink Paradox"):

"Modern-day middle school girl Hideyoshi is mysteriously hurled into a world resembling the warring states period of Japanese history, only this time it's inhabited only by women. This world's Oda Nobunaga is gathering the legendary Crimson Armor so she can rule the world, and for some reason needs Hideyoshi's help to do it."

*ping!* My yuri senses are tingling. I have never ignored them.

Kitamura Eri and Toyoguchi Megumi (:D !) have roles.

Air date: April 4

Showa Monogatari:

A series following the Yamazaki family in the Year Showa 39 (1964), when Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics.

The first 4 episodes aired from 12/30 through 01/02 on Mie TV. The show's proper, complete run is supposed to begin on April 3.

Sket Dance:

Based on a long-running Shounen Jump manga. 

"At Kaimei High School, the Living Assistance Club (aka the Sket Brigade) was organized to help students with problems big or small. Most of the time, though, they hang out in their club room, bored, with only a few trivial problems floating in every once in a while. In spite of this, they still throw all their energy into solving these worries."

Doesn't look that interesting.

Shiraishi Ryouko, Sugita Tomokazu, Orikasa Fumiko, Inoue Marina, Toyoguchi Megumi, Satou Satomi, Seki Tomokazu, and Kobayashi Yuu have roles.

Air date: April 7

Sofuteni!:

A Comic Blade comedy, about a middle school girls' soft tennis team aiming for the nationals.

Nice idea, awful execution. Going by the PV, this series is more interested in looking up its characters' skirts than in their playing.

Itou Kanae, Kitamura Eri, Sawashiro Miyuki, and Itou Shizuka have roles.

Air date: April 8

Steins;Gate:

"Steins;Gate is about a group of friends who have customized their microwave into a device that can send text messages to the past. As they perform different experiments, an organization named SERN who has been doing their own research on time travel tracks them down and now the characters have to find a way to avoid being captured by them."

Another adaptation of a game by 5pb. and Nitroplus (Chaos;HEAd), with character designs by Huke (who created Black Rock Shooter), surely causing nerdgasms in many an otaku. The concept sounds interesting, but I didn't care for Chaos;HEAd, so I'm not really anticipating this.

PV streaming here.

Miyano Mamoru, Hanazawa Kana, Momoi Haruko, Seki Tomokazu, Kobayashi Yuu, and Tamura Yukari have roles.

Air date: April 5

Suzy's Zoo: Daisuki! Witzy ("Suzy's Zoo: I love you! Witzy"):

A series of animated shorts starring the animals (a duckling named Witzy and his friends) from the greeting card line "Suzy's Zoo" by Suzy Spafford, an American artist.

Sakamoto Maaya (ooh, why is she only in this show? > <), Nakahara Mai, Taketatsu Ayana, Saiga Mitsuki, and Shiraishi Ryouko have roles.

Air date: April 3

Tiger & Bunny:

"Schternbilt City is home to people called "Next," who use their special abilities to protect the people as superheroes. These heroes solve cases and save lives so they can wear sponsor logos or acquire "hero points." Their activities are documented on the popular program "Hero TV," which picks the "King of Heroes" in a yearly ranking. The veteran hero Wild Tiger has always preferred to work alone, but now he's been assigned the rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., who has a different perspective on being a superhero.."

Could be interesting. The character designs kind of remind me of Redline, but Tiger & Bunny isn't from the same studio and doesn't have any of the same staff working on the art and animation production. It's clearly being made with a non-Japanese market in mind.

PV here.

Kotobuki Minako and Kaida Yuko have roles.

Air date: April 2

Tono to Issho: Gantai no Yabou ("My Lord and Me: Eyepatch of Ambition"):

The second season of a series of short gag episodes (I mean really short- the episodes in the first season were each 1.5 minutes long) based on a 4-koma starring famous historical figures from the Sengoku era.

PV streaming here.

Ono Daisuke, Gackt, Noto Mamiko, Tomokazu Sugita, and Kobayashi Yuu have roles.

Air date: April 4

Toriko:

Toei's newest Shounen Jump adaptation. Toriko is the most gar cooking series ever. If you like the idea of a hulking, hyper-muscular dude gathering cooking ingredients in the most over-the-top way possible, you'll probably dig this series.

"In the world of Toriko, many extravagant and delicious ingredients exist in the most dangerous places, and it is up to the Bishoku-ya, or Gourmet Food Providers, to hunt down these animals and plants in the  face of danger. Toriko is one such Bishoku-ya, taking his place as one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Bishoku-ya with his immense strength and appetite. Together with Komatsu, a timid chef trianed in the art of preparing food; Coco, the poisonous Bishoku-ya who can see the future; Terry Cloth, the offspring of a clone of the long-extinct Battle Wolf; and many more, Toriko takes on job after job while searching for the foods great enough to make it into his dream full-course meal."

Paku Romi and Mizuki Nana have roles.

Air date: TBA in April

X-Men:

Madhouse's newest Marvel adaptation.

I'm not really interested.

Hisakawa Aya and Tamura Yukari have roles.

Air date: April 1

Yondemasu yo, Azazel-san ("You're being summoned, Azazel-san"):

Based on a manga running in Evening. "Akutabe, a detective, summons devils to solve the troubles of his clients. One day, a low class devil Azazel Atsushi is summoned by Akutabe and is used harshly by him and his assistant Rinko Sakuma."

Doesn't really interest me.

Satou Rina, Kamiya Hiroshi, Shiraishi Ryouko, and Kobayashi Yuu have roles.

Air date: April 2 Changed to April 8

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal:

More Yu-Gi-Oh.

Air date: April 11

Also- my Conbust yuri panel is going to be this Saturday at 10:00 p.m. Looking forward to seeing whoever comes! :D