Season Preview: Summer 2009 Anime Series

A new season is coming, and you know what that means?
MORE ANIME!
A lot of other blogs/sites have already provided their own previews and shared their impressions.
This time it's our turn! Together let's take some sneak peaks on upcoming anime and the Hypers who do Anime Impressions posts will share their quick first impressions on them!

AOI HANA

by J.C. Staff on July 1
Fumi Manjoume, an introverted, bookish teenage girl, is beginning her first year of high school at Matsuoka Girls’ High School. She enters the school year with her heart broken by a previous relationship. At about the same time, she reconnects with her best friend from ten years ago, Akira Okudaira, who is now attending Fujigatani Girls’ Academy as a first-year high school student. As they reconnect, they both deal with their own respective romantic problems, and help each other get through them.

Sapphire Pyro

As you can see on my impressions on the first volume of the manga . . . NO WAY.

ninjovee

There's not much yuri anime -- well, those that I know of anyway.Curiosity might convince me to take a look into this.

xtine06

Since I am sucker for romance stories, I am going to watch this one :))

PARFAIT CANDIDACY MAY become a parfait if xtine06 appreciated the romance in the story or if ninjovee liked it.

BAKEMONOGATARI

by SHAFT on July 4
After surviving a vampire attack, Koyomi is a high school boy working on getting his life back on track. After briefly being turned into a vampire, he met a man who brought him back and made him human again. In this third year of high school though, he’ll meet girls who are all afflicted with various spiritual ailments that he must help them cure.

xtine06

Ooh..another vampire series but with comedic touch?? A potential anime for the summer 2009!

ninjovee

I've looked into Wikipedia and the series has been categorized under supernatural, comedy and romance, interesting combi. I think I'll be hooking myself to this one.

Sapphire Pyro

It gives me Sayonara Zetsubou sensei vibes! It's only more of supernatural instead of slice of life!!! I'm still traumatized with vampire stories because of Twilight though, but this seems epic! And I ship the leading guy and gal already xD Haha!.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers have the gut feeling that they'll be loving the show! This series becoming a parfait is GUARANTEED.

CANAAN

by PA Works on July 4
Based on a Wii visual mystery novel titled ‘428 ~Fuusa Sareta Shibuya de~’, the story for this series centers on a group of strangers who are all brought together in Shibuya by strange events. In the group is a detective, a man, a virus researcher, a writer and a cat mascot. They discover that the events that have brought them together have worldwide implications though and must work together to unravel the mystery.

xtine06

Aside from romance, I am sucker for mystery series too, so I will be watching this one tooo!

Sapphire Pyro

I like the cast variety, and I'm a sucker for action-mystery. So I'm totally checking this one out! But I just wish there were more guys though, ehehehe,

ninjovee

Based on a game set in Shibuya where characters have met because of strange events -- reminds me somehow of TWEWY/Subaseka! I think I'll be looking out for this series.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers have expressed interest in the show! If it turns out to be as nice or better than they expected, HIGH CHANCES of this becoming a parfait!

ELEMENT HUNTERS

by NHK Enterprises on July 4
A joint production between NHK and Korea based HeeWon Entertainment, Element Hunters is an educational anime meant to teach children about chemical elements. The actual story will follow a group of heroes who have been chosen by scientists for their flexible minds. Elements have been disappearing from the Earth through a dimensional wall and it’s up to these ‘Element Hunters’ to go to the other side and bring the elements back to their Earth to keep things from disappearing.

Sapphire Pyro

CHEMISTRY AND I HATE EACH OTHER. I'll check it out for the sake of curiosity though. I wonder how a show that seems to be your typical action shounen anime will be something educational. Ehehe.

xtine06

For the fun of it, I will be checking this one out especially that I love chemistry more than biology.

ninjovee

Japan has been insane enough to make anime out of the most mundane topics -- like bread -- and some of these quirky anime have me hooked. I think I'll be giving this a shot. XD

PARFAIT CANDIDACY The Hypers are more of watching this out of curiosity than out of actual interest. So it's UNLIKELY to become a parfait. But if one of them had actually liked it, then it HAS A CHANCE!

FIGHT IPPATSU! JUDEN-CHAN!!

by Studio Hibari on June 25
In this comedy, Juden-chan enters the world from a parallel dimension and takes work as an office lady. This office is special though as her mission is to use electricity to recharge depressed people.

xtine06

Plot is okay. I am actually 50-50 about it. But after knowing that there will be sex and boob jokes…..this is a no no for me :)

Sapphire Pyro

Story seemed pretty interesting (the helping depressed people part) but perverted fanservice . . . Uuuggghh . . . WHY??!! UUUGGHH!!! NOOO!!! I want to save my eyes from bleeding!!!

ninjovee

Summaries online are a little bit vauge -- it doesn't give much impact. The poster and image search results do scream ECCHI and OPPAI though. If I can stomach Queen's Blade's fanservice long enough, then, I might look into this series as well.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY ninjovee is the only one who got interested in it. If she liked it, then it MAY become a parfait!

GA: GEIJUTSUKA ART DESIGN CLASS

by AIC on July 6
Another slice of life comedy for the season with this one taking place in a high school art class. Based off the manga, the main character is Kisaragi who has joined a high school that specializes in art design despite having no real knowledge about art at all. Joined by new friends and a forceful teacher, Kisaragi will begin to learn more about art through her daily life and activities.

Sapphire Pyro

It looks boring T_T and it's giving me Sketchbook vibes. Hopefully I'm wrong though . . . they seem pretty hyper . . . and the voice cast is nice. . . hehe

xtine06

A pretty unique plot. So I will be watching this one, not to mention the start-sudded cast and crew!

ninjovee

This series being a slice of life series and in an art class reminds me of Honey and Clover -- also, and anime based on 4-koma seems interesting. I'll probably look into this series as well :)

PARFAIT CANDIDACY The Hypers except for Sapphire Pyro became pretty interested on this. If either of the two enjoyed it, then it'S HIGHLY POSSIBLE for it to become a parfait!

HETALIA AXIS POWERS SEASON 2

by Studio DEEN on July 24
Second season of the web adaptation of Hidekaz Himaruya’s gag manga.
The story is set in Europe in the years between WW1 and WW2 (1915-1939), and uses exaggerated caricatures of the different nationalities as portrayed by a gaggle of bishounen boys. For example, the Italia Veneziano character is into pasta and women. The Deutsche (German) bishi loves potatoes and sausages, and Nippon is an otaku boy. Installments of the manga have jumped back and forth in setting from the ancient times to modern-day geopolitics. The manga’s title comes the Japanese words for “useless” (hetare) and Italy (Italia).

ninjovee

Honestly, I haven't delved too deep into the Hetalia fandom yet… maybe when I've started downloading/watching/reading Hetalia, then I'll look into the 2nd season ^^;

xtine06

OF COURSE!!

Sapphire Pyro

DO I NEED TO THINK??!!! NUMBER ONE OBSESSION IS ON THE TOP OF MY LIST!!! OH GIMME MORE NATION-TANS ESPECIALLY GILBO IN THIS SEASON!!!! I BEG!!! OH HETALIA YOU'RE SO EPIC *MWAH*

PARFAIT CANDIDACY Sapphire Pyro is already covering the first season and is obviously addicted to it, so of course the new season becoming a parfait is ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEED.

KANAMEMO

by Feel on July 5
The story centers on Kana Nakamichi, a middle-school girl who had already lost her parents and just recently lost her only remaining relative, her grandmother. As a result, she ends up living and working at a newspaper delivery office. Everyone else living at the office are all charming, self-assertive bishoujo. The manga follows Kana’s daily life in the fast-paced yet joyous environment.

Sapphire Pyro

Slice of life usually freakin' bores me . . . Picture and synopsis of this series already made me sleepy -_- zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

ninjovee

Another Slice of Life anime -- not really appealed with the plot synopsis though… I'll take a peek on the first episode and we'll see from there.

xtine06

Another slice of life anime? I would be watching this one too!

PARFAIT CANDIDACY ninjovee thinks of giving it a try while xtine06 is already very interested in it. MOST LIKELY xtine06 will serve this one if ever it becomes a parfait.

NEEDLESS

by Madhouse on July 3
Following World War III, certain areas of Japan are deemed to be black areas where no one is supposed to be allowed to travel. What people aren’t realizing however is that there are already people living in those black zones who have developed their own special powers. To anyone who isn’t living in these zones, the people there are called simply ‘needless’.

ninjovee

Interesting plot synopsis -- not a fan of the art, but I might take a peek in this series as well.

Sapphire Pyro

I like shows with people with special powers. Ehehehehe . . . I don't actually see anything exceptional in it, but I will check it out. It sorta gives me Shaman King and Gurren-Lagann vibes for some reason. Hehe. (random: I thought it was NEEDLES at first, not NEEDLESS. Wahehe!)

xtine06

This reminds me of Darker than Black. So I like this one…will be watching this one too!

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers have decided to check out this series. So it has a VERY GOOD CHANCE on becoming a parfait!

PRINCESS LOVER!

by GoHands on July 5
In the original game’s story, Teppei Arima is a second-year high school student who lost both of his parents in a traffic accident on their way home from a family trip. His grandfather, Isshin Arima, happens to wield the puppet strings in Japan’s vast economy and demands that Teppei becomes his successor as the head of the Arima Group. To prepare for his debut into high society, Teppei enrolls in an elite academy for the scions of the rich and powerful.

xtine06

Interesting plot but with erotic elements?? I might pass this one.

ninjovee

Moe girl: check. Loli school girl: check. Tsundere: check. Maid: check. No central male characters: check. This is based on an eroge alright… Not a very appealing plot. I'll probably skip this one.

Sapphire Pyro

I thought I might like it because I like princess stuff. I didn't know about the synopsis when I watched the PV . . . . and my eyes were BLEEDING!!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers had expressed disgust, so it's ABSOLUTELY NOT going to become a parfait!

SORA NO MANIMANI

by Studio Comet on July 7
In the story, Saku Ōyagi is a quiet bookworm who moves back to his former hometown as a high school freshman. He meets his childhood friend, Mihoshi Akeno, although a traumatic incident long ago had left their friendship in an awkward state. Despite this, Mihoshi brings Saku into the astronomy club she founded, and this sets the stage for the slapstick romantic comedy that ensues.

ninjovee

Although the plot seems a bit bland, I've always had a soft spot for Romantic Comedies… I'll give this a shot.

xtine06

Romantic Comedy?? This will be a definite in my anime list next season.

Sapphire Pyro

LEADING PAIRING IS MY CHIAKI X NODAME HIGHSCHOOL VERSION! I LOVE THE MANGA SO TOTALLY WATCHING THIS xD

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers like to check out romantic comedy series. Sapphire Pyro confirms on watching it devotedly because she had appreciated the manga. However, she's already covering a lot of series. But if neither xtine06 nor ninjovee will be serving it, Sapphire Pyro will. Definitely.

SPICE AND WOLF 2

by Brains Base on July 8
Craft Lawrence is a peddler who trades in various kinds of goods, visiting every village by cart. After he leaves the town of Pasroe, which was in the midst of a harvest festival, he finds a girl sleeping on a pile of fur in his cart. She is a beautiful girl, but she has the ears and tail of a wolf. She calls herself Horo - the Sage Wolf Horo - god of the harvest. Her craft is the art of conversation, and even Lawrence, an experienced peddler, is outmaneuvered by her. Although he doubts her identity as a god, he is moved by her wish to return to her home in the north, and so he promises to go with her.

ninjovee

I haven't seen the first season yet, so I'll skip this one.

Sapphire Pyro

I LOVE THIS SERIES but unfortunately I'm not done watching season one ^^; Ehehehe . . . Will watch when I have finished it *_* Totally. Especially that Brains Base is handling it. The godly studio that worked on Baccano and Natsume Yuujinchou! YES! xD

xtine06

OF COURSE!!! Another no questions asked!! I have been waiting for this for a long, long time! :)

PARFAIT CANDIDACY xtine06 GUARANTEES that this is going to become a parfait!

TAISHO YAKYUU MUSUME

by JC Staff on July 2
In the Taisho Era of Japan, baseball is just barely starting to make its way into the mainstream and become popular. The story of this series follows a group of girls who try to start their own team despite having no idea how to play the game. An odd twist being that it was hard enough to find a team of male players let alone nine girls who wanted to play.

Sapphire Pyro

WHAT IS BASEBALL WITHOUT BASEBALL UNIFORMS??!!! I see it as an Oofuri girl version WANNABE . . . Because I think Oofuri is hell BETTER than this!!! I don't want a stupid sports anime with amateurs who just wanna have fun and go cutesy cutesy! GUH! Gimme professionals!!! GIMME A SPORTS ANIME NOT CRAP!!!! If you want a baseball anime that is pretty new, go watch Cross Game instead! The music in the PV was nice though . . . I like jazz~ but it TOTALLY DOESN'T suit the series o_O

ninjovee

I've recently been interested in Major -- although that's somehow set in the present time. It's an interesting turn to start from when baseball wasn't yet popular in Japan, I'll most likely check this out.

xtine06

Another baseball series.I might check this one out since I am watching Cross Game right now.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY POSSIBLE to become a parfait if ninjovee or xtine06 liked it. It reminded both of those Hypers of a baseball series that they've liked.

TOKYO MAGNITUDE 8.0

by BONES on July 9
The premise of the project is the 70% or higher possibility that a magnitude 7.0 earthquake will occur in Tokyo in the next 30 years. The anime will depict what would happen if an 8.0 earthquake took place, attempting to realistically portray the consequences of such a tremor after collecting data on actual earthquakes and interviewing people.
The story will center on Mirai, a middle school freshman girl who goes to Tokyo’s artificial Odaiba Island for a robot exhibition with her brother Yutaka at the start of summer vacation. A powerful tremor emanates from an ocean trench, the famed Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge crumble and fall, and the landscape of Tokyo changes in an instant. With the help of a motorcycle delivery woman named Mari who they meet on Odaiba, Mirai and Yutaka strive to head back to their Setagaya home in western Tokyo.

Sapphire Pyro

Story's really interesting. I find it awesome that they're basing it on facts. Then it's well researched and thought of. This is very promising! And I like thundering music in the trailer. Hehe. And this is by an awesome studio after all, so checking it out!

xtine06

I have to admit that I am looking forward to this one. So another definite in my anime list.

ninjovee

I'm a big fan of productions that actually include different facts and actual opinions about the plot devices. I'll watch this one for sure.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers have shown interest in this show! It looks very promising anyway so there's REALLY HIGH CHANCES of this becoming a parfait!

UMI MONOGATARI ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~

by ZEXCS on June 24
The “transforming magical girl action” story centers on Marin and Urin, two “pure” sisters who live alongside the fish in the sea, but yearn to be in the world beyond the water and above ground. One day, a beautiful ring falls in the middle of the sea, and Marin and Urin retrieve it. The two decide to leave their waterbound world for the first time to deliver the ring. After an arduous journey, they come across an isolated island where a high school girl named Kanon lives. The encounter between Marin and Kanon — the maiden of the sea and the maiden of the skies — awakens a hidden power as the world is threatened by an enveloping darkness

Sapphire Pyro

I experienced headaches while watching the trailer T_T I usually dislike mahou shoujo and I think this is one of the types that I DESPISE! -_-

ninjovee

I'm a Sailormoon fan, but frankly -- transforming magical girl series are pretty much a saturated genre IMO. I'll take a look into this though.

xtine06

I am interested in this one….reminds me of little mermaid, remove the romance part. So I will be watching this one.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY ninjovee is checking it out; MIGHT cover if she liked it. xtine06 has expressed the most interest out of the three, so if she had adored it, it COULD become a parfait!

UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI

by Studio DEEN on July 1
Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place primarily in the year 1986, during the time frame of October 4 and October 5 on a small, secluded island named Rokkenjima, owned and lived on by Kinzo, the head of the wealthy Ushiromiya family. Kinzo is near death, and eight of his family members arrive on the island for the annual family conference, where the adults plan to discuss how Kinzo’s assets will be divided once he is dead. Also on the island are three family members who live there, five of Kinzo’s servants, and his personal physician. After the eight family members arrive, a typhoon traps them on the island, and shortly after, strange things start to happen and people start dying.

ninjovee

I've heard of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni having a lot of gore -- although I haven't checked it out still. Seeing that this is possibly a spin off, I might watch this one XD

xtine06

A mystery-horror series!!! OMG! I am a big sucker for this one!! I would definitely watch this oneeeee!!

Sapphire Pyro

I've read the manga, and it was pretty cool! I think the anime could make it epic though. The art is already much much better in the anime! And I'm a sucker for supernatural-mystery xD And I like the butterflies *_* And I think Beatrice is going to be my new evil goddess xD Haha!

PARFAIT CANDIDACY All Hypers are checking it out! Sapphire Pyro already has background of the story so she will surely be following this anime. Either of the three may cover this, but if ninjovee nor xtine06 will not cover it, Sapphire Pyro will be serving this parfait! Yes, you can say this is already GUARANTEED!

WEISS SURVIVE

by TBS(?) last June 5
Based on the card battle manga, two teens are caught in a mysterious new world where card battles are fought on a regular basis. In order for Takeshi and Michi to get home they will have to learn how to do battle with the cards and win matches.

ninjovee

Ugh. Another card battle series. Seriously -- after seeing other card battle series aside from Yu-Gi-Oh! (the original series, not including the spin-offs), I've found them all as cliché or YGO ripoffs. It may be a bit biased, but YGO had more substance than the later card battle series. I'll most likely skip this.

Sapphire Pyro

I like series with . . . cards xD I don't think I'll get hooked to this one, but I guess I'll give it a try.

xtine06

Another card series..hmm..i might end up comparing it with Yugioh! There are no subs, even though it premiered a week ago but if subs are up, I will check this one out.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY Sapphire Pyro and xtine06 are interested in it and if they liked it, it's POSSIBLE to become a parfait!

YOKU WAKARU GENDAI MAHOU

by Nomad on July 11
The story revolves around Koyomi Morishita, a clumsy high school freshman girl who is often mistaken for a grade-schooler because of her shortness. Koyomi becomes a disciple of Misa Anehara, a 25-year-old graduate student who happens to be one of the most powerful modern-day magicians.

Sapphire Pyro

Looks like another pathetic mahou shoujo to me. And I think I won't be able to stand the leading girl. Though I like the watching the fight of some white girl and black girl in the PV. But still, PASS!

xtine06

Is it me or does the magic looks like a Zaiphon? Because of that lame reason, I will be watching this one! Hahaha.

ninjovee

I liked some series that have magic elements in them. I think I'll be watching this one.

PARFAIT CANDIDACY xtine06 and ninjovee already confirms that they will be watching it. If they actually liked it, then there are HIGH CHANCES of this series to become a parfait!

ZAN SAYONARA ZETSUBOU SENSEI

by SHAFT on July 4
Third TV adaptation (4th overall, including an OVA) of Kouji Kumeta’s manga.
The anime revolves around a very pessimistic high school teacher named Nozomu Itoshiki who, at the very beginning of the series, tries to hang himself on a sakura tree. Despite this effort of self-destruction, he is saved by an extremely optimistic girl known only as Kafuka Fuura. After having enough of the strange girl, Nozomu bolts to the school and starts his homeroom class, but the attempt to escape was in vain as he finds that the girl is one of his students. Not only that, but Kafuka is just the tip of the iceberg: each and every student in his class represents a new personality quirk or bizarre obsession, posing challenges that the suicidally-inclined teacher must overcome in spite of himself

xtine06

Unfortunately I never caught the first two seasons of this series so I’ll likely be skipping it.

ninjovee

I haven't seen Zoku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, maybe I'll look into this when I have the time.

Sapphire Pyro

I FREAKIN' LOVE THIS SHOW!!!! KYAAAAAA!!!!! Unfortunately, I still haven't marathoned the second season, and the specials/OVAs ^^; Ehehehe. BUT OH GOD I MISS THIS!!! TOTALLY WATCHING THIS WHEN I'VE CAUGHT UP!!!!

PARFAIT CANDIDACY Sapphire Pyro has only seen a few episodes of the previous season. She has already downloaded them all though, including the specials. If she had managed to finish these before July 4, then she will be covering this. But if ninjovee would be able to finish what she had missed before Sapphire Pyro, then ninjovee will serve this as a parfait! However, if none of them were able to finish it, then it might not become a parfait. In other words, this series becoming parfait is only guaranteed IF ONLY either of the two Hypers have finished what they had missed.

That's it for the preview of the upcoming anime series this season!

How about you? What's on YOUR list?