2011 Summer Anime

It’s July the 7th!

The seventh day of the seventh month!

Sou, nano ka?

Nanoka?

七日 = nanoka.

七日 = seventh day.

Happy Rumia Day.

Ho ho ho, whereas the previous season’s whopping 45 shows required more than 6 hours to complete, I wrote this entire post in merely four hours in the early morning of today – partly by necessity, and partly because there are only 27 episode-by-episode (e.g. with around a dozen episodes) anime airing this summer, and even that happens to be a lot of shows for a summer season. Aren’t there supposed to be more anime during summer?

Anyways, added a new thing because I thought it would be cool – a “Potential” rating. I say potential only because I don’t know what other concise, one-word description to use in place of ‘Mushy’s Preliminary Rating on the Overall Quality of this Show’. Unlike other potentials which will probably stay around the 3-4/5 range, there will be equal amounts of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 in my potential ratings. SS stands for second (sequel?) season, which means that I haven’t watched the first/previous season(s), and so cannot say anything about how much I want to watch the show, ? means there’s not enough information for me to meaningfully give a mark, and -1/5 are shows with premises so ridiculous you know they’ll suck.

Maybe next time I should only post about things with more than 3/5.

…I guess Scamp and Chartfag aren’t making any charts anymore – the other person who made a chart’s chart is ridiculously large (not the person), and so I’m using that cowboy’s chart. Once again, information, links, pictures, media, trailer links, etc. from Wikipedia, MAL, Scamp, psgels, Caraniel, T.H.A.T., and Sea Slugs. Now you know why I always write ‘previews’ after the season has started – I’m invariably the last one to finish it!

[Click for Full Size]

(Appleseed XIII supposedly aired June 3rd! That’s not Summer!)

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni!

Sequel to the first season.
Trailer
Though I’ve read the manga, one of its main selling points was the amazing art. The anime just makes everybody look childish. Plus, apparently the jokes get old, and get old fast – while I can withstand that with a manga (cause each chapter takes what five minutes), I can’t really imagine sitting through that for two seasons (Nichijou)… but because it’s an anime adaptation of something I’ve read, I’ll have to watch it…
…AFTER I START THE FIRST SEASON
Potential: SS

Blade

Blade is an awesome comic superhero who, while being a vampire himself, hunts other vampires. Also, the movies were fucking badass.
Trailer
Then again, I’ve heard nothing but bad reviews for Madhouse/Marvel’s animated Western stuff. Keep your anime animated, and keep your cartoons cartoons!
Potential: 2/5

Blood-C

Some sequel/adaptation/side story/new story to some series I haven’t watched. It’s about vampires. And blades.
Trailer
What’s with everybody randomly putting titles in all-caps? Anyways, apparently this is about clumsy girls fighting animated statues. That’s another plus for waiting to write the preview – you get more information about shows that may have been good!
Potential: 3/5

Double-J

Dem hyphens.
Episode 1, raw, which will undoubtedly be taken down soon, so here’s a screenshot of the art style.
I don’t know, it’s four minutes/episode, animated in flash, and it looks pretty shallow. Won’t bother.
Potential: 0/5

Dantalian no Shoka

This boy inherits a house and finds a magical girl in the library in the basement. Does this remind you of any two series?
Trailer
I swear this was Dantalian no Shana or something until I realized that’s airing in Fall or sometime and that a was actually an o. Not enough information to really judge this series, but it’s one-cour and it looks like it might be pretty cool…
Potential: 4/5

Ikoku Meiro no Croisée

Some people, Paris in the 1800s. Also lol dat é. Alt + 0233 must have been the first letter I’ve learned to type because I really don’t remember when I learned how to type that. Though I just noticed Alt + 233 works just as fine…
Trailer
THOSE FEET. Also DAT BEARD. I’ll give this a shot.
Potential: 4/5

Inumarudashi

A boy misbehaves at a kindergarten.
No Trailer?
Crayon Shin-chan, anyone? Though I still have to watch that, too… :v Anyways, what the heck is this about, and should I add a new Potential: Child for children’s shows? Then again, You are Umasou was pretty awesome so…
Potential: 1/5

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi

One day, this guy realizes VAMPIRES and GIRLS and PROPHECY OF EPIC PROPORTIONS and yeah this will probably suck
Trailer
ok sure, maybe the prophecy of epic proportions will be a prophecy of epic proportions
Potential: 3/5

Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel: Kyun Kyun Tokimeki Paradise!!

What the heck does that even J.C. Staff. How can a studio be so doublesided
Trailer
I swear they were Sunny Milk & Co. for a while and then those epic proportions are just a bit no.
Potential: 0/5

Kamisama Dolls

Kyouhei is this guy who comes back home and finds MURDERS and MURDERS and WHITE-HAIRED PEOPLE and KAMISAMA DOLLS.
Trailer
This didn’t look like it was going to be very good and then the trailer happened. I hope it doesn’t become moe garbage, but it’s not like that would happen with DEATHS and MURDERS in the first episode, right?
Potential: 5/5

Kamisama no Memochou

Try it, it’s the magical J.C. Staff anime template! Put anything in the brackets and you’ll get a new J.C. Staff anime!
[Insert Name Here] is an ordinary high school boy who (choose one) [recently transferred / has no friends / has a special ability he keeps secret from everybody / is a loner]. One day, he (choose one) [joins the gardening club / finds a girl on his balcony / has a girl fall on him / accidentally a girl]. What will happen to [Insert Name Here] in this wacky adventure?
Trailer
What’s with all of the Kami- series coming through? If I wrote this preview earlier I’d cast this off as ‘oh lol J.C. Staff, flatchested lolis for pedophiles’, but the trailer’s mood was actually pretty cool, and I’ve seen a lot of positive reviews about the first episode. Besides, watching it is the only NEET thing to do…
Potential: 5/5

Manyuu Hikenchou

FUCK I BROKE OUT IN LAUGHTER READING THIS DESCRIPTION HAHAHA THIS IS THE STUPIDEST PREMISE EVER
Trailer (would be NSFW but it’s too stupidly unrealistic to be)
SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK also black-haired girl in top left is jelly
Potential: -1/5

Mawaru Penguindrum

I have absolutely no idea, but it was good enough for gg’s translator to drop KamiMemo (actually, he picked it because he didn’t know what the heck it was).
Trailer
What am I supposed to expect for this?!”
Potential: ?

Mayo Chiki!

Reverse traps.
Trailer
Maria? I don’t often watch comedy things like this, and also that trope, but it could be entertaining.
Potential: 3/5

Morita-san wa Mukuchi

Shiori thinks too much before speaking, so everybody thinks that she’s quiet. Or something. Yeah.
Trailer
Sorry, but seriously are people running out of ideas? What kind of stupid crap is airing this season >_> Also, five minutes/episode. That’s more than four minutes/episode.
Potential: 1/5

Natsume Yuujinchou San

This guy can see spirits, for two seasons now.
Trailer
I should have time during summer to catch up, but with so many shows to catch up, I won’t be able to watch this. Aww.
Potential: SS

Nekogami Yaoyorozu

Something about cat gods.
Trailer
Sorry, but seriously are people running out of ideas? What kind of overdone crap is airing this season >_>
Potential: 1/5

No. 6

The story takes place in 2013, after asteroids, dinosaurs, and aliens have ravaged the planet, in the future city known as ‘No. 6’. The main character is super smart and lives in comfort, but one day, things change…
Trailer
Summary of any story, ever: The story takes place in [time], in [place]. [Main character’s name] is just a normal person, but one day, things change… Anyways, interesting premise, will check out.
Potential: 4/5

Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou

The sequel to the first season.
Trailer
I didn’t drop this, YuChoy did! No, seriously, I’ll be picking it up soon, the art for this season looks especially cool.
Potential: SS

Nyanpire The Animation

Four minutes an episode about a vampire cat.
Trailer
I might as well give this a potential of “5/min” or something witty like that. I can’t watch this, I’ll become fat and have to take insulin.
Potential: 2/5

R-15: Contact with water liberates extremely flammable gases

MAL: “Akutagawa Takuto is a teenage porn novel writer. He enters Hirameki Gakuen, which accepts only geniuses with outstanding talent. He leads his classmates with his porn skills to win the interclass competition.”
Trailer
VIVA LA LIBERATION!!
Potential: -1/5

Ro-Kyu-Bu!

Lolicon shit. Also basketball. Since when did sixth graders’ bodies have the same diameter as that of a basketball?
Trailer
I might as well give this a potential of “Loli” or something witty like that. Seriously.
Potential: 0/5

Sacred Seven

Some guy’s living a regular life, when SUDDENLY HE HAS THE POWER OF THE SACRED SEVEN
Trailer
Well, this looks interesting.
Potential: 3/5

The iDOLM@STER

I wish I knew what these fads are about, but I don’t.
Trailer
There are much better ways to spend your money/time/love. Get a life (am I one to speak) :v
Potential: 1/5

Usagi Drop

30-year-old single Daikichi (maybe he needs to learn about Health and Physical Education) becomes the guardian of 6-year-old Rin, his grandfather’s illegitimate daughter.
Trailer
This looks like it’ll be one of those really interesting, heartwarming stories that everybody will love – without any added fanservice, drama, and those other things that ruin shows like this (then again, noitaminA did just make AnoHana, but still). Reminds me of what happens to Riki in RRR. If this anime lives up to its expectations, I’ll be happy. Also, Zyl did raise a point – Rin is Daikichi’s aunt.
Potential: 5/5

Uta no☆Prince-sama♪ Maji Love 1000%

Some VN aimed at fat teenage girls who can’t find a boyfriend IRL. Also 1000% of 0 is still 0. Even if that 0 does include stars and eighth notes.
Trailer
Sorry, I’m too straight for this.
Potential: -1/5

Yuru Yuri

Some girls take over the tea ceremony room because ANARCHY
Trailer
Yuri, ra, ra, ra, ra, rayuriyuri yuri rara ra ra ra I don’t know alright
Potential: 2/5

Conclusion:

See? Not that much, really. There are several shows that seem quite good, but this season feels very distant to me – there’s no adaptations of things that I’ve read/watched (like Kaminomi, Beelzebub, Bakuman, Steins;Gate; BakaTest doesn’t count cause I’m not watching that yet), so I’ll be going into unfamiliar territory.

The only interesting OVA/Movie seems to be the conclusion to Roberta’s Blood Trail (which was released several weeks ago as a raw, but of which the only subbing group hasn’t gotten to yet, apparently) – the rest are all adaptations, etc.

Anyways, summer is a season to catch up on shows I’ve missed, etc. – I probably won’t pick up too many shows this season.

Tentative Pre-Summer Roundup:
Mushy’s Blogging: Kamisama no Memochou, probably.
Mushy’s Half Season Reviewing: Kamisama Dolls, No. 6, and Usagi Drop.
Mushy’s Trying: Dantalian no Shoka, Ikoku Meiro no Croisée, Mawaru Penguindrum, Mayo Chiki!, and Nyanpire the Animation.
Mushy’s Wait-and-Seeing: Blade, Blood-C, Sacred Seven, Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi, and Yuru Yuri.
Sequel Seasons: Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni! and Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou.

Much less than last season’s herd of how many series was it now? Yeah, I’ll probably go with a maximum of six shows this season (not including BakaTest and NuraMago) – quality > quantity, no?