Fall Anime Guide 2011

So it’s that time of the year.

This season brings us a lineup of anime that actually looks promising; titles like Persona 4 Animation, Fate / Zero, Guilty Crown and Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon, which are all season originals (titles that make a debut this season) that really caught our eye in terms of animation quality, musical score and story synopsis. We also have returning titles such as Shakugan no Shana, Shinryaku!? Ika Musume and Working’!! making the cut this fall. This lineup will definitely keep us glued to our seats (in your case, torrents/streams and channels), with all their promised glory.

Here we bring you Sakura Index’ anime guide for Fall 2011! Here’s what we have written up:

1. Synopsis: this is taken from various sources, which takes their info from various sources. The information may change as the anime starts to air.
2. Our take on the anime: This is where we outline what we think about the series. Either me or Althaea will be watching, and maybe blogging about it.
3. Reasons to watch: stuff that actually sold us to the series. Something that might be you reason, too.
4. Promotional materials/links: some links for you to see and look for your perusal.

On a side note, we notice that there are less “moe” type anime series this season. Probably they saved all of those good stuff for now, amirite?

One last thing: is it just me, or Sunrise has like, four shows this season? Talk about a huge investment!

And presentingggg…. Fall Anime 2011!

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Fate/Zero – Fate/zero takes place 10 years prior to the events of Fate/stay night, detailing the events of the 4th Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City.The War of the Holy Grail is a contest in which seven magi summon seven Heroic Spirits to compete to obtain the power of the “Holy Grail,” which grants a miracle. After three inconclusive wars for the elusive Holy Grail, the Fourth War commences.

From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fate/zero>

Crosse – Definitely will watch this. I have been waiting for an English translation for the Fate/Zero novel for a time now, and now the anime comes in. I just hope that the anime stays faithful and well to the novel.

Althaea– I can’t really say I’m totally looking forward to this show, since I haven’t watched or played FSN. However, I have seen Unlimited Blade Works, and seeing how well the plot was written made my mouth hang open until the very end. Since it’s a prequel, I’m guessing I wouldn’t miss on most parts, but I might catch up with the anime just in case.

Promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkGaGBrS7_k

Reasons for watching:

Unlimited Blade Works
Urobuchi Gen (Madoka Magica)

Working’!! – Working!! is a Japanese four-panel comic strip manga series written and illustrated by Karino Takatsu, and concerns the activities of the unusual employees at the Wagnaria family restaurant.

From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working!!>

Crosse– Working!! was a definite success for me in its last season, and the humor between Takanashi and Mahiru was good; building up that Belligerent Sexual Tension between them. I’d like to see how this goes this season, and hope that it will continue up for a last season.

Althaea– I’ve been hooked to its first season because of the right amount of humor it gives in each episode (especially Takanashi’s attempts to cure Mahiru’s androphobia but get beaten up each time). I’m also one who watches and appreciates slice-of-life shows, but this one is exceptionally good for me because despite how different each character’s personalities are, they still manage to blend and compliment each other well (though not all the time, but it’s still funny) through their day-by-day experiences at the family restaurant Wagnaria.

Promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ8V4rNT5zY

Reasons for watching:

Awesome first season
Fukuyama Jun as Takanashi Souta (I be his fan~)
A-1 Pictures

Shinryaku?! Ika Musume – Squid Girl has come to the land from the depths of the sea to conquer humanity for its pollution of the ocean. Unfortunately she ruins the first house she uses as an invasion base and has to work to pay for repairs. Of course, she can’t overcome the Aizawa sisters who manage the house, so who knows whether she can subjugate humankind.

From <http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=11421>

Crosse– Hmm… I didn’t finish yet the previous season of this title yet (one of my backlogged anime titles). So I think I’ll sit this one out up till I finish watching it. From the last season, the humor is good; so I think fans of this series will definitely love its second coming.

Althaea– Again, another sequel on my list. It’s also a slice-of-life series that shows a squid girl named Ika Musume and her attempts to take over the human world for making a mess out of her aquatic world. Her efforts (up to this date) remain in vain as she ended up working at a beach restaurant instead. I liked the first season since each skit is full of “LOL’s” and “wait, what’s”, and making Ika’s character more lovable every single time. The sweet drama at the last episode also made me yearn for another season, and I was really grinning like a Cheshire Cat when I heard about the sequel.

Reasons for watching:

Ika Musume
Chibi Ika Musume
Tanaka Rie as Chizuru (portraying a motherly character, seeps dark aura at certain bits)

Persona 4 the Animation – Persona 4 takes place in the fictional, rural Japanese town of Inaba, which lies among floodplains and has its own high school and shopping districts. Unexplained murders have taken place in the small town, where bodies are found dangling among television antennas and their cause of death unknown.[15] At the same time, rumor has begun to spread that watching a switched-off television set on rainy midnights will reveal a person’s soulmate.[16] Following the rumor, a group of high-school students discovered a fog-shrouded world accessed through television sets infested with monsters called Shadows.[17] They also discovered each of their Shadow Selves, symbolizing their suppressed personalities. Confronting their Shadow Selves awakened their ability to summon beings known as Personas. Using Personas, the students formed the Investigation Team to investigate the connection between the TV world and the murders, and possibly capture the culprit.[18]

From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persona_4>

Crosse– HOHSHIT. YES. I WILL DEFINITELY WATCH THIS. I played and loved the game, and I cannot think of any reason for me to not watch this. I just hope this gets a better treatment than Trinity Soul. And I’m a bit wary of its director, Kishi Seji, with his adaptation of Ragnarok the Animation quite… something. Anyway, I will definitely watch this; if ever I blog about this, it will be something about how faithful it is to the game.

Althaea– FINALLY!!! When Persona Trinity Soul was aired years ago, I wished for a P4 adaptation at the back of my head. I got over my head when it appeared in a fake chart last year too. Now, I’m looking forward to Thursday and see how well it all plays out. I appreciated the fact that they managed to get all (if not most) of the voice actors from the game to dub the same characters in the anime. Also, Kishi Seiji did a good job at directing Key’s Angel Beats, so I’m having high hopes in this series as well. Another thing I’m anticipating at is how most cutscenes will be animated, since most of them are as hilarious as is in the game (special mention: The King’s Game during Tatsumi Port Island visit) and whether MC-kun (named Yu Narukami for this adaptation) would really be switching Personas throughout the show or stick with Izanagi until the end. But yes, this is definitely going to be watched as soon as each episode releases.

Reasons for watching:

Most major voice actors from the game would be in it
Kishi Seiji (Angel Beats, Kamisama Dolls)
AIC
Persona 4 – Because.

Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon – In the far future, humans abandon the devastated Earth and move to the upper world “Tenjo”. But Tenjo and the law of causation collapse by a war and humans returns to the Earth, which has turns into an inhabitable planet except for Shinshu area.

From <http://myanimelist.net/anime/10456/Kyoukai_Senjou_no_Horizon>

Crosse– The PV sold me. The action scenes and the detail of its animation is very good, along with the soundtrack that accompanied it. The background and the setting of the anime is also very interesting; we do not have that many post-apocalyptic anime titles that can pull it off well. I’m definitely looking forward to this; and might blog about this.

Althaea– After the success of Tiger & Bunny last season, this show is one of the three they’ll be having this season, and it shows a lot of potential of being a good series. I’ve read a bit of what it will be about, and it’s kind of futuristic with a well-written historical background (and a lot of new terms too). When I saw the trailer, however, it gave another element interesting, since it reminded me of the mecha units from Infinite Stratos. I was kind of skeptical whether to get this or not, but after seeing the trailer, I thought I should give it a few episodes for the meantime.

Reasons for watching:

Sunrise
Huge cast: Fukuyama Jun, Ono Daisuke, Chiwa Saito, Koshimizu Ami, Yuuki Aoi, Inoue Marina
This trailer

Guilty Crown – After the outbreak of the unidentified virus “Lost Christmas” in 2029, Japan has been under the control of a multi-nation organization called GHQ. Ohma Shu is a 17 year old boy who has a psychic power in his right hand. He can use the power “Ability of King” to extract tools or weapons from his friends. He has been avoiding making trouble for others but his life changes when he meets a girl Yuzuriha Inori, a member of a resistance guerrilla group called “Undertaker”, whose members pilot mecha weapons to fight against the government.

From <http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=13001>

Crosse– I’ve seen and read about this anime many moons ago, and have been waiting for its airing already. The story, background and presentation (dear lord, just look at the PV!) is stunning and well-played. And the last time I’ve heard the term “Power of Kings”, we had a fallen prince trying to overthrow the empire of his parents. I’d like to see how this plays this time around. And yes, Supercell. Just. Because. Blog? Yes.

Althaea– A lot of people are talking about this series. The title alone is quite intriguing, and seeing the trailer, and the staff and cast will also make you want to give it a try. It’s basically about a high school boy who has a power to extract weapons from another person’s body called “Power of Kings.” He meets a popular internet diva who also is a member of a secret resistance group that wishes to liberate an anarchist Japan from an organization called GHQ. The plot reminded me of Code Geass at some point, to find out that they have the same screenwriter. Hearing its song from the PV also gave me one good reason to watch it. I’m guessing this would be one of the good shows this season.

Reasons for watching:

Production IG
Theme songs by supercell (Ryo)
This PV
Internet Diva-chan saying “please use me” is effing moe
Staff includes Death Note’s director and Code Geass’ screenwriter
Hanazawa Kana

Kimi to Boku. – The story revolves around 4 boys who have been together since kindergarden and are now in high school. The stories go back and forth, sometimes in kindergarden, sometimes in middle school and most of the time, in high school.

The story is about friendship, growing up, and …

From <http://www.mangafox.com/manga/kimi_to_boku/>

Crosse– Hmm… I’m not a good judge of stuff like this, so I cannot definitely say whether this is good or not from the promotional stuff. I’ll leave this one up to Althaea.

Althaea– My JC Staff pick this season. Slice-of-life comedy series of male teenagers as they go through everyday adolescent life. Do take note that there’ll be no BL undertones in the show (but that doesn’t stop the fans, eh? :D). The group includes an honor student, an effeminate, twin brothers and a half-German transfer student. It definitely gave a similarity with Ouran HS Host Club for me, but then again, it’s too early to say.

Promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajDCvoOAXSU

Reasons for watching:

Slice-of-life
No homolust
JC Staff

Shakugan no Shana 3 – Shakugan no Shana (灼眼のシャナ?, lit. Burning-Eyed Shana), also known simply as Shana, is a series of Japanese light novels and related media works written by Japanese novelist Yashichiro Takahashi and illustrated by Noizi Ito centering around Yuji Sakai, an ordinary Japanese high school boy who inadvertently becomes involved in a perpetual war between forces of balance and imbalance in existence. In the process, he befriends the title character: a fighter for the balancing force, whom he takes to calling “Shana”. The series incorporates science fiction, fantasy, and slice-of-life “school days” elements into its tale. From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakugan_no_Shana>

Crosse– I’d better rewatch the two previous seasons first. Then I’ll watch this. It’s been six years. SIX YEARS. SIX FRIGGIN YEARS. So yeah.

Althaea– Another JC Staff show, but I’m not really as interested on watching it as I did years ago. It’s probably because the hype died out on me already, and I’m just going to watch it just for the sake of bringing closure to the series I started watching many years back. But then again, it might all change when I watch the first few episodes; and I’m really hoping it would get me hook up with it over again.

Promotional video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfiPPt6Q3GU

Mobile Suit Gundam AGE– In A.G. 101 (the 101st year of the Advanced Generation calendar) a mysterious entity known only as “UE”, or “unknown enemy”, attacks and destroys the space colony Angel. This brutal attack becomes infamous as the “The Day the Angel Fell”, and marks the beginning of humanity’s war for survival. The series begins in A.G. 108 when the UE attack the space colony Ovan, where Flit Asuno lives with his mother. Flit’s mother is killed by the UE, and in her belongings (in an object called a “AGE Device”) he discovers the blueprints for a powerful weapon from the past–the ancient messiah named “Gundam.”

From these blueprints, Flit spends the next several years studying engineering at an Earth Federation base on the Nora space colony and designing the AGE-1 Gundam AGE-1 Normal. Seven years later, in A.G. 115, Flit completes the Gundam AGE-1 Normal, just as the UE attack Nora. Flit and his lineage’s battle piloting the AGE-1 to protect mankind is about to begin. From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundam_Age>

Crosse– This looks like a big break from the usual Gundam stories (about war, fighting, soldiers, dying, what to do to stop it, etc). With that being the case, I’m looking forward to seeing how this will play out. And yes, the pilots look like kids. What happened to the old kick-ass pilots?

On a side note, this looks like they were influenced by the events in Awakening of a Trailblazer.

PV: http://www.gundam-age.net/content/movie2.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11DecXqdN7o

Reasons to watch

Ore mo Gundam.

Mashiro Iro Symphony– Shingo’s school is decided to be joined with a girls’ school. As a selected student, Shingo temporarily transfers to the girls’ school until they officially consolidate. He meets various unique girls there, but all girls dislike male students. To remove their misunderstanding, Shingo works hard and… From <http://vndb.org/v1552>

Crosse– This title is an adaptation from an Eroge that I’ve been meaning to play for a long time now. I think I will watch this, knowing that I haven’t played it yet. It’s better, I think, since I can appreciate the anime on its own; not as simply an adaptation of an Eroge that might or might not actually be good.

Reasons to watch

Eroge adaptation. Should be better, or worse.

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!– Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A strong fighting spirit is always valued and it’s even an important factor in succeeding in school there.

Yamato, a second year student from Kawakami Highchool is always with his close friends (4 boys and 3 girls). They have known each other since they were young and have done loads of things together. They have many other friends, but this seven people is a close-knit group, they even have a secret base where they meet… From <http://vndb.org/v1143>

Crosse– Another Eroge adaptation. The story seems nice, and the premise good; something that would be a good buildup on the relationships that will form over the course of this season. The characters look interesting enough too, so I am hoping for a good rendition and adaptation to the screen.

Reasons for watching

Eroge
Interesting mix of characters

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukinai– Hasegawa Kodaka is a recent transfer student to St. Chronica’s Academy, a Catholic high school. As with every other school he has ever attended, he finds it difficult to make friends there because of his naturally-blond hair (inherited from his deceased English mother) and fierce-looking eyes, which make him look like a dangerous “yankee” to his prejudiced schoolmates.

One day, Kodaka accidentally comes across the equally solitary and very abrasive Yozora Mikazuki while she converses with her imaginary friend Tomo. Realizing that neither of them have any social lives, they decide that the best way to improve their situation is to form a club – the Neighbor’s Club – precisely intended to make friends and learn social skills. From <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boku_wa_Tomodachi_ga_Sukunai>

Crosse– It has an interesting story, this title. Protag’s looking similar to the protagonist of Toradora, where the main character stands out from the crowd. And with his effort to make friends, I wonder how this will play out, and whether it will play out well. Realistically? Hopefully. IDK about the manga though– this is a manga adaptation.

Reasons to watch

Interesting story
Character Design
Someone looking like Index (LOL)

C3 (CubexCursedxCurious)– based on Minase Hazuki’s light novel C3 Ceries. The story begins when a high school student named Haruaki Yachi receives a mysterious, super-heavy black cube from his father overseas. That night, Haruaki wakes up to a suspicious noise in the kitchen, and he discovers a “fully naked female thief of rice crackers.” The girl, Fear, is the first of several surprises that Haruaki receives. From Chartfag.

Crosse- AAAND so. YEP. This is one of them harem animes. So yep, I will watch this. Because Fear’s cute. Just. Will watch, but no blog. Just for fun. Muhahahahah.

Reasons for watching

Cute art and animation
Harem
I wonder about the title
PV

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Whew that was extensive! There are a bunch of other titles out there that’s also slated for showing this season, but are not included here. What we’ve listed are the ones that stand out so far, and what are worthwhile watching and downloading. You can find more titles in Chartfag’s Anime List 2011.

So, what will you watch?

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