Genkina hito’s Autumn 2013 Anime Picks Part 2 – Indulge Me

The spring anime had a good selection of titles, the summer anime selection was not bad (only one stand-out) but the sheer number of awesome looking titles for the autumn 2013 (see my Anime UK News article for a list of new shows airing in Japan) means I’ll be picking up more shows than ever before. Here is my first list of definite picks which I’ll watch through to the end. This is another list featuring some more that I’ll be watching, the only difference from the last one is that I’m more likely to drop these but:

I’ll give it a shot (two episodes to impress, no more)

Wanna be the Strongest in the World (Sekai de Ichiban Tsuyoku Naritai!)

Director: Rion Kujo, Series Composition/Scripts: Kazuho Hyodo, Art Director/ Character Designer: Rin-Sin

Voice Actors: Ayana Taketatsu (Sakura Hagiwara), Kana Asumi (Erena Miyazawa), Eri Kitamura (Makoto K), Chiaki Takahashi (Jackal Tojo)

Studio: ARMS

Sakura Hagiwara and Erena Miyazawa are both members of an idol group known as Sweet but when Erena is injured in an attack by a female pro-wrestler named Rio Kazama during the recording of a TV programme, the microphones get dropped so Sakura can dropkick Rio. Seething from the indignity of the situation and being bullied by muscle-bound babes, Sakura enters the female pro-wrestling world!

Here’s my blurb for AUKN: This could be the greatest anime mankind has ever known. A post-modern parody of modern Japanese pop culture. The unification of the hyper-stylised chaos of mannish joshi wrestling girls (who could probably beat me up) and the even more hyper-stylised J-pop awesomeness provided by sweet and pretty idols will create a ridiculously absurd ecchi anime treat full of busty girls in skin-tight costumes performing sexy poses and screaming in agony as they inflict pain through placing each other in suggestive wrestling positions. Or it could be garbage.

This one screams guilty pleasure because it is based on a well-liked manga and features an absurd but potentially hilarious storyline and you won’t feel so dirty because this isn’t hentai. 

The guys behind this create ecchi-fodder. The animation is done by ARMS who produce the Queen’s Blade and Ikki Tousen anime adaptations and character designs come from Rin-Sin who also works on Queen’s Blade. The director is Rion Kujo who directed Ikki Tousen: Shuugaku Toshi Keppu-Roku. It’s the type of stuff I avoid but the idea of a dust-up between an idol and wrestlers is funny and I want to see it. Just imagine it in real life! It’d be like the image below only awesome! I’m already hype for this! GO PRETTY IDOL GIRL SAKURA!

Tokyo Ravens   

Director: Takaomi Kanasaki, Series Composition: Hideyuki Kurata, Original Creator: Kouhei Azano, Character Designer: Atsuko Watanabe

Voice Actors: Kaito Ishikawa (Harutora Tsuchimikado), Kana Hanazawa (Natsume Tsuchimikado), Aki Toyosaki (Kon), Ayane Sakura (Suzuka Dairenji), Eri Kitamura (Kyoko Kurahashi), Ryohei Kimura (Toji Ato), Hisako Kanemoto (Hokuto)

Studio: 8-Bit

Harutora belongs to the Tsuchimikado family who are onmyoudou occult practitioners but he lacks the ability to see spirit energy so he’s just a normal boy… until his childhood female friend Natsume shows up in his life. Why does this cause a change? She is heir to the head of the Onmyoji family and Harutora finds that his powers may be awakened.

Another one based on a manga, this sounds like a potential replacement for Red Data Girl, an anime I liked. Red Data Boy going by the synopsis then. Kato Ishikawa (Ledo in Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, Manatsu in Red Data Girl) takes the lead as Harutora and he is given great support by the more experienced Kana Hanazawa (Kobato Hanato in Kobato) as Natsume.

Log Horizon                  

Director: Shinji Ishihara, Series Composition: Toshizo Nemoto, Original Creator: Mamare Touno, Character Designer/Chief Animation Director: Mayumi Watanabe,

Voice Actors: Takuma Terashima (Shiroe), Tomoaki Maeno (Naotsugu), Emiri Kato (Akatsuki), Jouji Nakata (Nyanta), Minami Takahashi (Asuka), Nao Tamura (Minori)

Studio: Satelight

The fantasy MMORPG Elder Tale is a hugely popular slice of entertainment but when 30,000 Japanese gamers find themselves trapped in the fantasy world it becomes a very real slice of reality complete with all of the dangers familiar to MMO’s like mobs and grinding. Shiroe is one of the gamers trying to survive alongside his friend Naotsugu, a beautiful assassin named Akatsuki and Nyanta, a mysterious player who looks like a cat.

This is Sword Art Online! But wait! There’s a character named Nyanta (hohoho) who carries a rapier, wears a cape and looks like a cat? AWESOME! I’m on board the Log Horizon train!

Seriously though, this is Sword Art Online, what with its story of mmorpg gamers being stuck in a video game. The initial concept for Sword Art Online intrigued me but I dropped it around episode 5. So the story isn’t original but it’s one I’m open to because I play a lot of JRPGs when I’m not watching films or studying Japanese or working. Indeed the character designs reminiscent of the Etrian Odyssey series, the first game of which (image below) I recently completed a fortnight ago. The story comes from Mamare Touno who was the guy who created the fantasy x economics anime Maoyuu which mixed of Adam Smith, oppai and magical battles in a fantasy setting. I stuck that series through to the end but wasn’t a major fan because it was dull. I’ll give this one a shot.

Galilei Donna – Storia di tre sorelle a caccia di un mistero  

Director/Original Creator: Yasuomi Umetsu, Scripts: Atsushi Oka, Hideyuki Kurata, Jun Kumagai, Touko Machida, Character Designer/Chief Animation Director: Shingo Adachi, Music: Shiroh Hamaguchi

Voice Actors: Rina Hidaka (Hozuki Ferrari), Rumi Ookubo (Kazuki Ferrari), Rina Hidaka (Hazuki Ferrari), Houko Kuwashima (Sylvia Ferrari), Hiroshi Kamiya (Cicinho), Marina Inoue (Anna Hendrix)

Studio: A-1 Pictures

It is the year 2061 and global warming has stopped being the chief threat to humanity since a new ice age has started! Hozuki, Hazuki, and Kazuki Ferrari, three descendants of Galileo who live in Tuscany but when a mysterious organization is searching for the “Galilei Donna,” issue an international arrest warrant for the three sisters, they must put aside their differences to join forces, go on the run and fight the organization and learning their true destiny.

I was hesitant about picking this up but Yasuomi Umetsu – writer and director of two anime I like in the form of Mezzo Forte and Kite – knows how to mix good-looking ladies with cool action. This is an original idea from him and airing in the Noitamina slot. It all bodes well because I can watch shows like these with ease. Then I was sold when I saw the image (so cool looking and colourful I want to cry because I don’t sparkle like these characters ;_;) below on Quizoky’s blog and the trailer for this which is stylish and action-packed. Will we see the show fix the ice age by doing something with the moon through the three sisters? We’ll have to wait to find out!

I’ll also give BlazBlue and Samurai Flamenco a spin but that’ll be it for now.