Summer 2011 Anime Season Preview

The spring season has been kind of weak compared to this past winter (although I'm still interested in Hanasaku Iroha and Ano Hana, and getting through Sengoku Otome), but there are some promising shows lined up for the summer.

This time, I'm organizing the preview differently. (Shows with premiere dates specified. -> Shows simply described as premiering in "July." -> Shows premiering in "Summer 2011.") As always, I hope it's helpful! ^_^

06/13

Appleseed XIII:
The latest adaptation of Shirou Masamune's Appleseed manga, which takes place in a futuristic war torn world. Former LAPD SWAT member Deunan Knotts and her cyborg partner Briaeros are brought to the seemingly peaceful, prosperous city of Olympus, but after joining the city's police force, they find out about the underground conflict that's taking place there.
I'll pass on this, since I'm not into the CG look. (Especially compared to the original art.) The production company backing this project recently filed for bankruptcy, but there's still a trailer on the show's website saying that it will premiere on June 13. According to the site, all 13 episodes will stream online rather than air on TV.
Noteworthy seiyuu:
Sakamoto Maaya (CANAAN's Alphard, Ouran's Haruhi, Escaflowne's Hitomi) as Deunan
Yamadera Kouichi (Cowboy Bebop's Spike, Ghost In The Shell: SAC's Togusa, Evangelion's Kaji) as Briaeros

07/01

Blade:
Madhouse's latest Marvel adaptation. Unfortunately, no trailers or promo art have been released.
Update: Not anymore.
Seiyuu:
None again.

Ro-Kyu-Bu!
Based on a light novel series starring Subaru, a first-year high school student who plays on his school's basketball team. The team is disbanded when the coach is suspected of being a pedophile, and Subaru "somehow ends up as a coach of an elementary school's basketball team with five girls."
:-(
A cheesy live-action "trailer", featuring the seiyuu pretending to be a group of high friends, has been released.
Update: Premiere date added.
Update 2: Trailer added.

Seiyuu:
Kaji Yuuki (Kuroshitsuji's Finny, Hanasaku Iroha's Kou) as Hasegawa Subaru
Hanazawa Kana (Bungaku Shoujo's Touka, Kuragehime's Tsukimi, Black Rock Shooter's Mato) as Minato Tomoka
Iguchi Yuka (To Aru Majutsu no Index's Index) as Misawa Maho
Hikasa Youko (K-ON!'s Mio) as Nagatsuka Saki
Itou Shizuka (Rei in Marimite, El Cazador's Nadie, Saki's Hisa) as Takamura Mihoshi

07/02

Kami-sama no Memo-chou:
An adaptation of a light novel series starring a NEET detective girl named Alice and the high school boy who serves as her sidekick, Narumi.
No trailers, and I'm really not crazy about the, "Aww, look at the widdle detective girl surrounded by teddy bears, isn't she sho moe?" advertising. Pass.
Update: Premiere date added.
Update 2: Trailer streaming here.
Seiyuu:
Kayano Ai (Ano Hana's Menma) as Shinozaki Ayaka
Ono Daisuke (Kuroshitsuji's Sebastian, Durarara!!'s Shizuo, Suzumiya Haruhi's Itsuki) as Yondaime
Nabatame Hitomi (Strawberry Panic!'s Shizuma, Marimite's Eriko) as Min-san
Sakurai Takahiro (Code Geass' Suzaku, Ano Hana's Yukiatsu) as Hiro

Sacred Seven:

Sunrise's project, about super-powered teens who fight monsters and use body armor. I haven't seen more detail about the story than that. Trailer here.

Seiyuu:

Nakajima Megumi (Macross Frontier's Ranka, Kämpfer's Sakura) as Aiba Ruri

Itou Kanae (Hanasaku Iroha's Ohana, Taishou Yakyuu Musume's Koume, Railgun's Saten) as Itou Wakana

Okamoto Nobuhiko (Ao no Exorcist's Rin, To Aru Majutsu no Index's Accelerator) as Terushima Night

07/03

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée:

In the late 19th century, a little girl named Yune accompanies an elderly gentleman named Oscar on his trip back to France. She convinces Oscar and his nephew Claude to let her work at their ironwork shop in Paris, and the series follows their day-to-day lives.

Satou Junichi is doing the series composition, although he isn't directing. Incidentally, the trailer has a nice Aria-like feel to it. ^_^ I'm definitely trying it.

Seiyuu:

Yuuki Aoi (Madoka in Madoka Magica, Noël in Sora no Woto) as Alice

Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou:
The second season adapting Shiibashi Hiroshi's Nurarihyon no Mago manga (licensed as Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan), which runs in Weekly Shounen Jump. I've heard that it's painfully rote, so I haven't tried it.
It stars Nura Rikuo, a boy who is a quarter youkai and destined to rule the Nura youkai clan. Not only does he dislike his youkai heritage, many others oppose his inheritance of the leadership position. But he eventually embraces his role.
Update: Premiere date added, and PV streaming here. (Click "Movie.")

Seiyuu:
Hirano Aya (Suzumiya Haruhi, Lucky Star's Konata, Kimi ni Todoke's Kurumi) as Ienaga Kana
Fukuyama Jun (Code Geass's Lelouch, Spice and Wolf's Lawrence) as Nura Rikuo
Ishida Akira (Mai-Hime's Nagi, Mnemosyne's Apos, NANA's Shinichi) as Tamazuki
Koshimizu Ami (Marimite's Kanoko, Saki's Nodoka, Suite Precure's Hibiki) as Sasami
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuuno) as Maki Saori

07/04

Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel ~Kyun Kyun☆Tokimeki Paradise!!~:
An adaptation of a magical girl pachinko slot game.
Does anyone honestly think that this will be good?
Update: Premiere date added.
Seiyuu:
Noto Mamiko (Marimite's Shimako, Kimi ni Todoke's Sawako, Menmosyne's Rin) as Blue Angel/Kannazuki Aoi
Kugimiya Rie (Saki's Yuuki, Toradora's Taiga) as White Angel/Hazuki Kurumi
Tamura Yukari (Nanoha, Kashimashi's Tomari, Mai Hime's Midori) using her Nanoha voice as Red Angel/Minazuki Haruka
Horie Yui (Aoi Hana's Kyouko, Hourou Musuko's Anna, Kashimashi's Yasuna) as Twin Phantom/Tesla Violet
Asano Masumi (Ikki Tousen's Hakufu, Kashimashi's Ayuki) as Tomochi Nyan and Kondou Satsuki
Hiyama Nobuyuki (Marimite's Kashiwagi, Yuu Yuu Hakusho's Hiei, Genshiken's Madarame) as Kaitou Misty Night/Kisaragi Yuito
Asakawa Yuu (Azumanga Daioh's Sasaki) as Black Carrier/Ms. Saijou

Natsume Yuujin-chou San:
The 3rd season adapting Midorikawa Yuuki's Natsume Yuujin-chou (released in English as Natsume's Book of Friends), about a boy who has always been able to see spirits and youkai and moves to his late grandmother's town, where he finds out that she had similar abilities. Since his grandmother enslaved youkai by recording their names in a book, he has to deal with the "loose ends" she left behind.
I've heard good things about Natsume and the youkai aspect sounds interesting, but I haven't watched or read any of it. ^_^; (I keep forgetting about it.)
Seiyuu:
Kamiya Hiroshi (Zetsubou-sensei, Bakemonogatari's Araragi, Honey and Clover's Takemoto) as Natsume Takashi.
Inoue Kazuhiko (Naruto's Kakashi, Detective Conan's Inspector Shiratori, Gravitation's Yuuki) as Nyanko-sensei.
Ishida Akira (Mai-Hime's Nagi, Mnemosyne's Apos, NANA's Shinichi) as Natori Shuuichi.
Kimura Ryohei (Higashi no Eden's Akira, Angel Beats!'s Hinata) as Nishimura Satoru.
Kobayashi Sanae (Baccano!'s Ennis, Elfen Lied's Lucy/Nyuu, Glass Mask (2005)'s Maya) as Natsume Reiko.
Suwabe Junichi (Fate/stay Night's Archer, Kuragehime's Shuu, High School of the Dead's Takashi) as Matoba.

Yuruyuri:
The first (and hopefully not last) Yuri Hime manga adaptation, about four girls who use their school's tea ceremony room for their amusement club meetings. I'm not in love with the manga (or even in like), but my desire for a Yuri Hime title to succeed as an anime supersedes my opinion of it.
Character designs for all of the characters are up on the official website.
Yuruyuri's director, Ohta Masahiko, has directed Yoake Mae Yori Ruri Iro Na -Crescent Love-, Minami-ke, Mitsudomoe, and Mitsudomoe Zouryouchuu!
UPDATE: Yuruyuri promo streaming here.
Update 2: Another trailer.
Seiyuu:
Tsuda Minami (Fractale's Phryne) as Funami Yui
Ookubo Rumi (Freezing's Kaho, Happy Kappy's Suguri) as Yoshikawa Chinatsu
Mikami Shiori (one of the girls who stole Nodoka's penguin in Saki, the newspaper club girl in Kämpfer) as Akaza Akari
Ootsubo Yuka (no previous roles) as Toshinou Kyouko
Toyosaki Aki (K-ON!'s Yui, Hanasaku Iroha's Nako, Railgun's Uiharu) as Ikeda Chitose
Taketatsu Ayana (K-ON!'s Azusa, Tamayura's Fuu) as Majokko Mirakurun
Katou Emiri (Sasameki Koto's Kiyori, Lucky Star's Kagami, Madoka Magica's Kyuubey) as Oomuro Sakurako
Fujita Saki (Houkago no Pleiades' Nanako, Working!!'s Inami) as Sugiura Ayano
Mimori Suzuko (Tantei Opera Milky Holmes' Sherlock) as Furutani Himawari

07/05

Kamisama Dolls:
Kyouhei, a university student, finds a recently killed body in an elevator after moving to Tokyo from the country. His little sister Utao, who can control a super-powered "Kamisama Doll", travels to Tokyo and tells him that his old friend Aki committed the crime with his Kamisama Doll. Aki suddenly shows up in Kyouhei's apartment.
Based on the promo art alone, I didn't think much of this show, but it sounds (and looks) interesting enough to check out.
Seiyuu:
Okamoto Nobuhiko (Ao no Exorcist's Rin, To Aru Majutsu no Index's Accelerator) as Kuga Kyouhei
Fukuen Misato (Hidamari Sketch's Natsume, To Aru Majutsu no Index's Maika) as Kuga Utao
Kayano Ai (Ano Hana's Menma) as Shiba Hibin
Sawashiro Miyuki (Canaan, Kimi ni Todoke's Ayane, High School of the Dead's Saeko) as Karahari Kuuko
Kimura Ryouhei (Higashi no Eden's Akira, Angel Beats!'s Hinata) as Kuga Aki

Morita-san ha Mukuchi:
Based on a 4-koma about the daily life of Morita, a quiet, introverted high school girl.
I saw the OVA adaptation. It was fine, but it didn't blow me away. I've heard good things about the manga (and it sounds like it has some yuri ^_^), so I'm still looking forward to this TV adaptation. (Maybe it'll be better?)
Update: Premiere date added.
Update 2: Trailer.
Seiyuu:
Hanazawa Kana (Bungaku Shoujo's Touka, Kuragehime's Tsukimi, Black Rock Shooter's Mato) as Morita Mayu
Tomatsu Haruka (Ano Hana's Anaru, Hanasaku Iroha's Yuina, CANAAN's Yunyun) as Murakoshi Miki
Hayami Saori (Higashi no Eden's Saki, Ano Hana's Tsuruko) as Miura Chihiro
Nanjou Yoshino (CANAAN's Maria, Hourou Musuko's Sasa) as Matsuzaka Hana

07/06

Nyanpire The Animation:
The newly revived (bad pun intended) Gonzo will be animating this series, based on a popular doujinshi (The Gothic World of Nyanpire) that spawned a series of character goods. It's about a cat who was abandoned, but saved from dying of starvation by a vampire giving it blood. Now it lives in a house with a human girl.
*watches trailer* *head explodes from cuteness*
Update: Premiere date added.
Seiyuu:
Koshimizu Ami (Marimite's Kanoko, Saki's Nodoka, Suite Precure's Hibiki) as Nyanpire
Fukuyama Jun (Code Geass's Lelouch, Spice and Wolf's Lawrence) as Nyantenshi
Sugiyama Noriaki (Naruto's Sasuke, Bleach's Uryuu) as Dokuganryuu Masamunya
Goto Yuuko (Suzumiya Haruhi's Mikuru, Hidamari Sketch's Hiro) as Chachamaru

07/07

Blood-C:
The newest reboot of the Blood franchise, with story and (great-looking) character designs by CLAMP. The promo art looks incredibly bad ass, so I'm excited about it. (I liked the Blood movie, but never really got into Blood+.)
The director, Mizushima Tsutomu, also directed Genshiken and Ookiku Furikabutte.
Update: PV streaming here.
Seiyuu:
Mizuki Nana (Nanoha's Fate, Heartcatch Precure!'s Tsubomi, Hourou Musuko's Maho) as Saya
Asano Masumi (Ikki Tousen's Hakufu, Kashimashi's Ayuki) as Amino Yuuka
Fukuen Misato (Hidamari Sketch's Natsume, To Aru Majutsu no Index's Maika) as Motoe Nene and Motoe Nono

Mayo Chiki!:
A "romantic comedy" starring high school boy Kinjirou, who discovers that his classmate Kanade's butler Subaru is really a girl.
Pass.
Update: Premiere date added.
Seiyuu:
Kitamura Eri (Madoka Magica's Sayaka, Simoun's Amuria, Toradora!'s Ami) as Suzutsuki Kanade
Asumi Kana (Hidamari Sketch's Yuuno) as Narumi Nakuru
Hanazawa Kana (Bungaku Shoujo's Touka, Kuragehime's Tsukimi, Black Rock Shooter's Mato) as Sakamichi Kureha

No. 6:
One of the two new Noitamina shows premiering (which means I'll definitely try it; fingers crossed that it isn't another Fractale), based on a series of novels by Asano Atsuko.
Shion lives in the elite area of No. 6, a "future model city", in 2013. On the night of his 12th birthday, he rescues Nezumi, a boy who escaped from No. 6's Special Security Area.
Update: Promos streaming here.
Seiyuu:
Kaji Yuuki (Kuroshitsuji's Finny, Hanasaku Iroha's Kou) as Shion.
Hosoya Yoshimasa (Level E's Yukitaka) as Nezumi

The Idolm@ster:
An adaptation of the Idolm@ster raising sim game, in which the player works as a producer who needs to select ten prospective idols.This game has already been adapted into an anime in which the characters double as fighting mech pilots. (A lot of the same staff who worked on Mai Hime and Mai Otome worked on it.) This new series seems to be going for a more faithful adaptation of the game, about the girls just striving to be idols. It looks like it could be fun. (For the longer trailers, skip past the talking CG girls, and you'll see art and animation from the show.)
Seiyuu:
Hirata Hiromi (R.O.D.'s Maggie, Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan's Gien) as Kikuchi Makoto
Kugimiya Rie (Saki's Yuuki, Toradora's Taiga) as Minase Iori

Usagi Drop:
Another Noitamina show, and one of two that I'm 100% certain will be good this season. It's based on an excellent manga by Unita Yumi, published as Bunny Drop in English.
30 year-old Daikichi attends his grandfather's funeral, where he finds out his grandfather has a 6 year-old daughter nobody knew about. Irritated by how his relatives don't want to take responsibility for her, he impulsively takes her in and raises her as a single parent. This series is incredibly sweet (without being cloying- really), and I'm really glad that it's getting an anime and live movie adaptation.
Update: Promo streaming here.
Seiyuu:
Ueda Kana (Marimite's Yumi, Saki in Saki, Kashimashi's Hazumu) as Maeda Haruko
Sakamoto Maaya (CANAAN's Alphard, Ouran's Haruhi, Escaflowne's Hitomi) as Yoshii Masako
Ohara Sayaka (Aria's Alicia, Kaliedo Star's Layla, Honey and Clover's Rika) as Kouki's mom

07/08

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi:
High school student Kurogane Taito is given a "poison" by a vampire girl, "thus changing his life."
The trailers look terrible.
Seiyuu:
Takamoto Megumi (Sasameki Koto's Ushio, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood's Winry) as Saito Himea
Fukuyama Jun (Code Geass's Lelouch, Spice and Wolf's Lawrence) as Kurenai Hinata
Nakamura Yuuichi (Clannad's Tomoya, Macross Frontier's Alto) as Kurenai Gekkou

07/09

Nekogami Yaoyorozu:
An adaptation of a comedy manga about Mayu, a chibi cat goddess who lives in an antique shop and hangs out with other chibi gods.
It looks like Binchou-tan on a sugar high. Not really interested.
Update: Premiere date added, and PVs here, here, and here.
Seiyuu:
Tomatsu Haruka (Ano Hana's Anaru, Hanasaku Iroha's Yuina, CANAAN's Yunyun) as Mayu
Horie Yui (Aoi Hana's Kyouko, Hourou Musuko's Anna, Kashimashi's Yasuna) as Komiya Yuzu
Kayano Ai (Ano Hana's Menma) as Shousouin Sasana
Toyosaki Aki (K-ON!'s Yui, Hanasaku Iroha's Nako, Railgun's Uiharu) as Shamo
Taketatsu Ayana (K-ON!'s Azusa, Tamayura's Fuu) as Meiko
Sanpei Yuuko (Kimi ni Todoke's Chizuru, Daa! Daa! Daa!'s Kanata) as Gonta

R-15:
Taketo, a high school student who moonlights as a porn novelist, enrolls in a school for geniuses where "risque trouble" ensues.
Blech. No trailers are available, but the official website has brief videos of each of the seiyuu who play the characters.
Update: Premiere date added.
Update 2: PV here.

Noteworthy Seiyuu:
Surprisingly, no.

07/10

Manyuu Hikenchou:
In a fantasy version of the Edo period, female warriors fight each other, gaining bigger boobs the more fights they win.
In case you haven't gotten the point, this show's official website's url is http://oppaidaisuki.jp/ and its Twitter feed is http://twitter.com/#!/large_breasts. I'm sure we'll see Manyuu Hikenchou: Gyokuza wo Tsugumono green-lit at some point.
Update: Premiere date and trailer added.
Seiyuu:
Toyosaki Aki (K-ON!'s Yui, Hanasaku Iroha's Nako, Railgun's Uiharu) as Kaede
Mizuhara Kaoru (Ga Rei Zero's Yomi) as Manyuu Kagefusa
Noto Mamiko (Marimite's Shimako, Kimi ni Todoke's Sawako, Menmosyne's Rin) as Sayama Ouka
Kotobuki Minako (K-ON!'s Mugi) as Manyuu Chibusa

07/15

Dantalian no Shoka:
In the basement of the mansion he inherited from his grandfather, Hugh Anthony Disward meets a girl named Dalian, who controls the gateway to the prohibited books of demonic wisdom.
I'll probably try it since it's by Gainax.
As an extra nice touch, the Alice and the Pirates line of the Lolita fashion chain Baby, The Stars Shine Bright, is in charge of this show's costume design.
Update: Premiere date added.
Update 2: PV added.

Seiyuu:
Sawashiro Miyuki (Canaan, Blue Drop's Hagino, Kimi ni Todoke's Ayane, Tegami Bachi's Lag Seeing, High School of the Dead's Saeko) as Dalian
Ono Daisuke (Kuroshitsuji's Sebastian, Durarara!!'s Shizuo, Suzumiya Haruhi's Itsuki) as Hugh

07/18


Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu season 2:
The second season of a comedy about a group of students who attend a school where the different classes (A to F) have varying levels of facility quality, and students compete to be in the A class using fighting avatars.
I haven't seen the first season. I've heard some good things about it, but I'm not interested.
Seiyuu:
Taketatsu Ayana (K-ON!'s Azusa, Tamayura's Fuu) as Shimizu Miharu
Katou Emiri (Sasameki Koto's Kiyori, Lucky Star's Kagami, Madoka Magica's Kyuubey) as Kinoshita Hideyoshi and Kinoshita Yuuko
Mizuhashi Kaori (Hidamari Sketch's Miyako, Nanoha's Yuuno and Vivio, Madoka Magica's Mami) as Shimada Minami

Premiere Date in July, specific day not yet specified:

Mawaru PenguinDrum:
Easily the most anticipated show this season- Ikuhara Kunihiko-sama's first time helming a show since Utena. All that's known at this point is that it will star three siblings (Takakura Kanba, Shouma, and Himari), be 24 episodes long, have character designs by Hoshino Lily, and be animated by Brains Base.
Maddeningly/tantalizingly cryptic trailers streaming here and here.  
Update: New trailer here! (Thanks to angelx03 for finding it.)
Update 2: Two more trailers! (The second one finally has animation!)
Update 3: Another trailer!
Seiyuu:
Himari is being played by Arakawa Miho, who hasn't played any other roles. No other seiyuu have been announced yet.
Update 2 part 2:  Shouma is being played by Kimura Ryouhei, Kanba is being played by Kimura Subaru, and another character named Oginome Ringo is being played by Miyake Marie. Here's a promo pic of Himari, Kanba, and Shouma, found here.

Thanks to Anonymous for tipping me off about more info on this show being available.

Premiere date still only specified as "Summer 2011":

Uta no ☆ Prince-sama ♪ Maji Love 1000%:
An adaptation of an otome romance game, in which a girl attends a school for the performing arts filled with boys who want to be idols.
This season's pretty big on idol shows. No trailers have been released.
Update: Trailer.
Seiyuu:
Suwabe Junichi (Fate/stay Night's Archer, Kuragehime's Shuu, High School of the Dead's Takashi) as Jinguuji Ren
Miyano Mamoru (Ouran's Tamaki, Death Note's Light, Star Driver's Takuto) as Ichinose Tokiya
Nakamura Yuuichi (Clannad's Tomoya, Macross Frontier's Alto) as Tsukimiya Ringo
Imai Yuka (Utena's Wakaba, Fruits Basket's Arisa) as Shibuya Tomochika
Kaji Yuuki (Kuroshitsuji's Finny, Hanasaku Iroha's Kou) as Kurusu Kaoru

おわり〜