Thoughts of Summer 2010 Anime Titles

The spring season's done in a few weeks so let's start to move on to discussion of upcoming summer titles. You can find a listing of upcoming TV titles for summer here.

By the looks of it, a good number of titles are focused around a horror/mystery theme with others being the usual stash of ecchi/ romantic comedy titles. Feel free to post your thoughts on the upcoming summer anime lineup.

Strikes Witches 2 for sure.

Seitokai Yakuindomo sounds like a variation on Seitokai no Ichizon.

Maybe Amamgami SS.

Dead easy. Madhouse is doing Highschool of the Dead which means I will be watching with uncharacteristic fanboy rabidness.

rusty-spring wrote: Highschool of the Dead

Looking forward to this as well.

Sakura wrote:

rusty-spring wrote: Highschool of the Dead

Looking forward to this as well.

Me no like zombies, but I might have to give it a shot.

Kiskaloo wrote:

Sakura wrote:

rusty-spring wrote: Highschool of the Dead

Looking forward to this as well.

Me no like zombies, but I might have to give it a shot.

I don't like zombies either, but the manga so far has been interesting so I'm giving it a go.

I'm sort of with Kisk on something for once. High School of the Dead doesn't really sound like my cup of tea and indeed sounds kind of strange, but with all the praise I've heard for it here I may check it out.

I'll add an interest in Strike Witches 2. As terrible as Strike Witches was in some ways, it actually was pretty entertaining.

Anime No Chakra's series about some sort of occult academy doesn't sound like quite so much my thing, but I'm kind of interested based on how good Sora No Woto and Senkou No Night Raid have been.

Otherwise not a lot jumped out at me at first glance from the previews that I can remember. Might take another look though.

Umm hello... DIGIMON!! Hahaha!

Did anyone else notice that Amagami is being adapted to anime this summer? That was something that Yu worked on, right?

Bleh, not much there this season. Not certain I'll be able to suffer through the fan service in HSotD, but I'll probably give it a shot anyway. Shiki's art style interests me and I do love a good light horror, so I might try that one as well. I think Nurarihyon no Mago is on my list of "to read"s, so I may eventually pick that one up, but it looks like it has a lot of potential to just be a lame shounen.

Piero wrote:Anime No Chakra's series about some sort of occult academy doesn't sound like quite so much my thing, but I'm kind of interested based on how good Sora No Woto and Senkou No Night Raid have been.

Occult academy types do not equal magic/super power types. I enjoy series that revolve around magic, occult, myth, and other like things, but this series looks like "you're mileage may very" to me. I don't know a whole lot about the series (watched the trailer and read the ANN on it), but for some reason this series strikes me as one I wouldn't like. Unless you're into Japanese occult myths, I would say this series may not hold your interest. Not trying to diss a potentially good series, just trying to warn you that it will be nothing whatsoever like Senkou No Night Raid.

PS: If you want to get into a good starter occult series, Ghost Hunt is excellent.

So far, Shiki and Occult Academy have my interest for horror-themed titles and I'll give Amagami SS a shot. As long as Amagami doesn't degenerate into typical main male lead helping a bunch of helpless girls situation, then I could enjoy it.

If you want an awesome occult/horror anime, try Ghost Stories.

Five_X wrote:If you want an awesome occult/horror anime, try Ghost Stories.

I think one of the problems Ghost Hunt has is that it's title reminds me of that series so much.

KodokuRyou wrote:Occult academy types do not equal magic/super power types. I enjoy series that revolve around magic, occult, myth, and other like things, but this series looks like "you're mileage may very" to me. I don't know a whole lot about the series (watched the trailer and read the ANN on it), but for some reason this series strikes me as one I wouldn't like. Unless you're into Japanese occult myths, I would say this series may not hold your interest. Not trying to diss a potentially good series, just trying to warn you that it will be nothing whatsoever like Senkou No Night Raid.

I wasn't really expecting it to be and truth be told neither the promotional art nor the description appeals to me very much. It's just that the first two Anime No Chakra shows have both been at least above average, so I've been starting to associate the project with quality productions.

Also, I noticed that High School of the Dead is being produced by Madhouse, the studio that did Black Lagoon, Gunslinger Girl Season One, and Monster. That speaks well for it. Then again, they also did Kamen No Maid Guy (Masked Maid Guy -it's a comedy about an incredibly gar male combat maid that was funny to begin with but which I didn't bother to finish) and seriously botched the adaptation of Allison and Lillia (a show seems like it could have been really good) so we'll see how it goes.

On another note, anyone feel like an awful lot of the stuff that's set to air next season seems sort of copycat-ish?

I might check out Occult Academy on booby factor alone plus horromedy has always been an oddball genre in which every title either hits it out of the park (Shaun of the Dead) or falls flat into hell (Attack of the Killer Tomatoes).

Osake Hamlet is one that I'll give a chance simply because I <3 Osaka.

Strike Witches was so full of win that Strike Witches 2 is simply a given.

And to whet my voracious Shoujo appetite, Setokai Yakuindomo. Although this seems like just another harem-anime; the premise is interesting enough to warrant a three episode trial.

YES HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD I've been following the manga forever.

High School of the Dead trailer is now out.

Nice animation. Shows the gore well.

Have to say the girls don't look all that cute to my eyes, so the bouncing boobies and panty shots don't do much for me.

So I'm giving it a "pass", but for the fans, I expect you'll be pleased as the production quality looks solid.

yeah theres a point where the boobies are just kinda a nuiscance/eyesore. I didn't like that about the art.
I really like the story tho and I like zombies and guns....and zombies with guns.

I only recently became aware of Highschool of the Dead, only really taking notice of it when they announced the anime - but after reading over the manga I've come to look forward to it with considerable anticipation. It's a really taut piece that's remained quite focused despite being published over four years with a couple of long hiatuses, there is some really powerful body horror - some of the zombie bites, particularly in the early chapters, are genuinely stomach-churning - and while there is a whole cavalcade of ripe ladies heavy with womanhood, gun nuts will be slavering just as much over the high-fidelity firearms the battles are lavished with. The characters are also pretty well-drawn - they have their basis in tropes but they respond believably to the changing situation around them, and the hero has a refreshing personality. He's not the usual insipid limp-wristed harem lead, but he's not a "GAR" beefcake either - forthright, without being fantastic.

It's also interesting for defying the usual zombie metafiction, too. In many stories zombies are used as anti-capitalist allegories, with the zombies either representing consumerism, or else the military and elites is shown up to be incompetent and incapable in the face of the shambling horde of reeking change. Highschool of the Dead does the exact opposite, however...

Spoiler:

http://s-witch.cute.or.jp/pc/mov/op.html

Strike Witches previews are out. It looks like much of what made the original, which is nice. Plus, the OP is pretty good. I'm looking forward to it!

Speaking of previews, Cat Shit One, the Gulf II update of Apocalypse Meow, was first trailered back in 2008, and is finally coming to broadcast this season. I'm quite enthusiastic about this one as well, it looks like a hoot: