Fall 2008 Thread - Rie Kugimiya Overload

Same drill like last season. Source credited to ADTRW as usual.

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Spoiler:

Penguin Girl Part 2 (Niconico Anime Channel, 09/06 (Sa) 12:00
Scenario: HIGUCHI Tatsuto, SATO Kazuharu; Character Design: MIZUKAMI Rondo; Chief Director; IWASAKI Taisuke, UEDA Kazuyuki; Art Director: TAKAHASHI Maho; Animation Production: Picture Magic
Continuation, running episodes 12 through 22 with the same 7-minute length.

Battle Spirits (TV Asahi, 09/07 (Su) 07:00)
Director: HONGO Mitsuru; Composition: SATO Dai; Character Design: SHIMOGASA Miho; Monster Design: ISHIGAKI Jun'ya, IMAISHI Susumu, TAKEUCHI Atsushi, MARUYAMA Hiroshi; Animation Production: Sunrise
Sunrise's attempt at copycatting Yu-Gi-Oh; a sixth-grader finds a single "X Rare Card," with the capabillity of summoning a spirit to do battle, and decides to collect them all.

Mach Girl (Cartoon Network, 09/13 (Sa) 04:00)
Chief Director: YATSU Miyako; Composition: YAMADA Takashi; Character Design: YOSHIDA Suzuka; Planning: Tatsunoko Production; Animation Production: Studio Rong
Speed Racer meets Bratz.

Candy Boy episode:03 (Niconico Anime Channel, 09/26 (Fr) 19:00)
Original: AIC Produce; Director/Script: HOSHIKAWA Takafumi; Character Design: WATABE Shu; Animation Production: AIC
Third of seven episodes in a romcom starring twin sisters.

The Earl and the Fairy (AT-X, 09/28 (Su) 24:00)
Novels: TANI Mizue; Director: SO~TOME Ichiro; Animation Director: FUJII Maki; Composition: NAGAO Noriko; Animation Production: Artland
Fantasy set in Victorian England; the "Fairy Doctor" Lydia Carlton meets a young nobleman(?) bad-boy who bills himself as the "Blue Knight" and the "Earl of Hy-Brasil". Presumably, there is romance and drama about his lineage.

The Time of Eve act 2 (Yahoo! Streaming, 10/01 (Fr) 12:00
Director/Script/Storyboard: YOSHIURA Yasuhiro; Animation Director: CHAYAMA Ryusuke
(Thread)

Toradora! (TV Tokyo, 10/01 (We) 25:20)
Original: TAKEMIYA Yuyuko; Illust: Yasu; Director: NAGAI Tatsuyuki; Composition: OKADA Mari; Character Design: TANAKA Masayoshi; Music: Star Child Records; Producer: GENCO; Animation Production: J.C.Staff
Romantic comedy involving, but not necessarily between, a loser and a very angry, young-looking-for-her-age, rich girl.

Noramimi 2 (CBC/Tokyo MX, 10/01 (We) 25:29)
Original: HARA Kazuo; Director: KOYAMA Yoshitaka; Composition: NAKAMURA Makoto; Character Designer: MASUDA Toshihiko; Art: KATO Kenji; Animation Prodection: TMS Entertainment
Character comedy on the theme of meetings and departures, and the gradual maturation of the characters.

Casshern Sins (TeleTama, 10/01 (we) 25:30)
Original: Tatsunoko Pro; Director: YAMAUCHI Shigeyasu; Character Design: UMAKOSHI Yoshihiko; Composition: KOBAYASHI Yasuko; Animation Production: Madhouse
Official site is down, I get to skip writing a description!

Rosario and Vampire CAPU2 (TV Osaka, 10/01 (We) 26:25)
Original: IKEDA Akihisa; Director: INAGAKI Takayuki; Composition: YAMAGUCHI Hiroshi; Main Character Design: FUJITA Mariko; Monster/Prop Design: KOBE Hiroyuki; Animation Production: GONZO
Same as it was last time.

Hyakko (TV Tokyo, 10/01 (We) 26:35)
Original: KATO Haruaki; Director: FUKUDA Michio; Composition/Script: TOMIZAWA Yoshihiko; Character Design: OOTA Keiko; Animation Production: Nippon Animation
13 eps of school life comedy about four girls in the tenth year of a school that runs from elementary through high school. The past couple chapters of the comics can be read here if you use IE; I don't feel like patching it and thus can't describe.

Corpse Princess (AT-X, 10/02 (Th) 10:30)
Original: AKAHITO Yoshiichi; Director: MURATA Masahiko; Story/Script: AIKAWA Sho; Character Design: KUBOTA Chikashi, SADAKATA Kikuko; Animation Production: Gainax, Feel
Undead schoolgirl hunts zombies to pay her way into heaven.

The Sunset-Colored Hill (Chiba TV, 10/02 (Th) 25:00)
Director: MOTONAGA Keitaro; Composition/Script: UEZU Makoto; Character Design: MIRAYAMA Madoka, HORII Kumi; Animation Director: HARA Masaharu; Animation Production: TMK
There's only so many ways to say "Japanese everyman figure has awkward schoolboy sex, now with it being off-camera and only with the annoying main heroine!" This time, the main character gets into a fight with a girl on the first day of school, and it's revealed that she's actually his arranged bride.

Black Butler (MBS, 10/02 (Th) 25:25)
Comic: TOBOSO Yana; Director: SHINOHARA Toshiya; Composition: OKADA Mari; Character Design: SHIBA Minako; Animation Production: A-1 Pictures
Would be more awesome as a sequel to Afro Samurai; instead, we're left with butler Sebastian (of course) being ambiguously gay with his bad-boy boy master (CV: SAKAMOTO Maaya, amusingly enough) while keeping him out of the trouble he tends to get in with the criminal and lunatic underworld.

Yozakura Quartet (TBS, 10/02 (Th) 25:29)
Comics: YASUDA Suzuhito; Director: MATSUO Ko; Sound Director: TSURUOKA Yota; Composition: HANADA Jukki; Character Design and Chief Direction: KIKUCHI Satonobu; Animation Production: Nomad
Confirmed one cours. "Heartful action" starring three superpowered girls who apparently form their town's government, and a normal boy.

Clannad ~After Story~ (TBS, 10/02 (Th) 25:59)
Games: Key/Visual Arts; Director: ISHIHARA Tatsuya; Composition/Script: SHIMO Fumihiko; Character Planning: HINOUE Itaru; Character Design/Chief Director: IKEDA Kazumi; Animation Production: Kyoto Animation
This is where all the Key depressing went, in terms of Clannad. If you're looking for a crying show this season, it's probably it.

Tales of the Abyss (Tokyo MX, 10/03 (Fr), 21:00)
Game: Namco; Character Plan: FUJISHIMA Kosuke; Director: KODAMA Kenji; AD: SATO Teruo; Character Desginer: HISHINUMA Yoshihito; Composition: OMODE Akemi; Monster/Mechanical Design: ISHIGAKI Jun'ya; Animation Production: Sunrise
The one in glasses is a dude.

Fist of the North Star Raoh Side Story: Divine Conquerer (Tokyo MX, 10/03 (Fr) 22:30)
Comics: Buronson/HARA Tetsuo; Key Animation: OSADA Yuko; Production Supervisor: HORIE Nobuhiko; Director: ABE Masashi; Script: OONOGI Hiroshi; Character Design: MARUFUJI Hirotaka; Chief Director: KOSHIISHI Akatsuki; Design Works: MORIKI Yasuhiro; Animation Production: Satelight
Recounts the youth and forming influences of Raoh.

Heavenly Warrior Sun Red (tvk, 10/03 (Fr) 24:45)
Comic: KUBOTA Makoto; Director: KISHI Seiji; Composition: UEZU Makoto; Caharcter Design: MORITA Kazuaki
Twenty-six 15-minute episodes of tokusatsu-themed gags.

Linebarrels of Iron (TBS/BOST?/Youtube?, 10/03 (Fr) 26:25)
Comics: SHIMIZU Eiichi, SHIMOGUCHI Tomohiro; Creative Producer: TANIGUCHI Goro; Director: HIDAKA Masamitsu; Character Design/Chief Animation Director: HIRAI Hisashi; SFX Director: ITANO Ichiro; Mecha Designer: SUZUKI Tsutomu; Composition/Script: YOSHIMURA Kiyoko; Special Setting/Script: MORITA Shigeru; Music: Conisch; Animation Production: GONZO
Reasons the show probably could have rocked are bolded. Reasons the show will actually suck are underlined.

Initial D Extra Stage 2 (Sky PerfecTV, 10/03 (Fr))
Original: SHIGENO Shuichi; Director: TOMINAGA Tsuneo; Script: KISHIMA Nobuaki; Character Design: TANAKA Minoru; Animation Director: HANEDA Koji, MURAKAMI Naoki; Animation Production: ACGT

Heated Pace! Turtle-1 Grand Prix (TV Tokyo/BS Japan, 10/04 (Sa) 07:00)
Five-minute segments as part of the Fightension TV block, underwritten by Tomy.

Shugo Chara! 2 (TV Tokyo, 10/04 (Sa) 09:30)
Original: PEACH-PIT; Director: YASUDA Kenji; Composition: OHNOGI Hiroshi; Character Design: SAI Fumihide; Animation Production: Satelight
Kept running into a second year.

Hell Girl season 3 (Tokyo MX, 10/04 (Sa) 17:00)
Planning: WATANABE Hiroshi; Original: Hell Girl Project; Director: WATANABE Hiroshi; Composition: KANEMAKI Ken'ichi
Underaged Japanese girl's spirit continues to run hits, providing exposition on her client's living torture before condemning both the target (now) and the client (later) to hell.

Kannagi (Tokyo MX, 10/04 (Sa) 22:30)
Original: TAKENASHI Eri; Director: YAMAMOTO Yutaka; Character Design: MIMA Kakeru; Script: KURATA Hideyuki; Chief Director: KADOWAKI Satoshi; Production Assistance: Ordet; Animation Production: A-1 Pictures
A magical shrine maiden, her friend who's known the male lead since kindergarten, and her little sister who's a nun and her rival. Directed by the man exiled from Kyoto Animation after Lucky☆Star's low debut ratings, with a lot of other ex-KyoAni staff, so presumably they're at least the top of the list for making this kind of thing more than transentially interesting, I guess.

Doable Greek Legends (NTV, 10/04 (Sa) 25:25
Original: Hoichoi Productions
Sexy commentary overlaid on animated Greek myth by live-action actors.

A Certain Magical Index (Chiba TV, 10/04 (Sa) 25:35)
Director: NISHIKIORI Hiroshi; Composition: AKAHOSHI Masanao; Character Design: TANAKA Yuichi; Sound Director: EBINA Yasunori; Art Director: HIROSE Yoshinori; Prop Design: IWATAKI Satoshi; Music: I've; Animation Prodiction: J.C.Staff
In a city of over two million in the western Tokyo metro area, over 80% are students with a curriculum including superpowers. One day a nun from a parallel dimension appears before the main character, with a right hand which dispels these, pursued by sorcerers from this opposite land of magic rather than study.

Kemeko-DX (tvk, 10/04 (Sa) 26:00)
Original: IWASAKI Masakazu; Director/OP Director: MIZUSHIMA Tsutomu; Composition: NARITA Yoshimi; Character Design: SUGIMOTO Isao; Animation Production: Hal Film Maker
Alien girlfriend romantic comedy, now chock-full of Evangelion jokes.

Lightning Eleven (TV Tokyo, 10/05 (Su) 09:00)
Original: Level Five; Animation Production: OLM
Captain Tsubasa, except this time the wacky soccer RPG game comes -first- and the animation comes -second-.

Live-On CardLiver Kakeru (TV Tokyo, 10/05 (Su) 10:30)
Original: YOSHIKAWA Choji; Comic: Aiyaaball; Director: USHIGUSA Takeshi; Composition: MASUDA Takahiko; Character Design: SHIMAZU Ikuo
Young boy can summon beasts using a card game. Judging from the official art, in particular, he can summon them from Samba de Amigo.

Mobile Suit Gundam 00 2nd season (TBS, 10/05 (Su) 17:00) (Series thread)
Director: MIZUSHIMA Seiji; Composition/Script: KURODA Yosuke; Mecha Design: OGAWARA Kunio, EBIKAWA Kanitake, YANASE Takayuki; Mecha Concept: FUKUCHI Hitoshi, TERAOKA Kenji; Animation Mecha Design: NAKATANI Sei'ichi; Character Design: KOGA Yun; Animation Character Design: CHIBA Michinori; Animation Production: Sunrise
Four years after the events of Gundam 00, Celestial Being returns to battle the TitansArrows, an oppressive Feddie paramilitary force.

Macademi Wasshoi! (Chiba TV, 10/05 (Su) 24:30)
Original: SAKAKI Ichiro; Character Plan: BLADE; Director: KANASAKA Takaomi; Composition: HASEGAWA Katsumi; Character Design: OOSUMI Takaharu; Animation Production: ZEXCS
Schoolboy's love-love adventures with an elf girl (horrible implants, wildly destructive magical power,) his "it's not legally incest, honest!" cousin (walking anti-magic field, walking shy girl stereotype,) and I don't know some kind of sheep-girl or something. Also his school's 6-year-old Ayanami clone virtual guardian deity AI, a shrine maiden, a preteen boy professor, and a dog-girl maid.

Today in Class 5-2 (TV Tokyo, 10/05 (Su), 25:30)
Comic: SAKURABA Koharu; Director: NAGASAWA Tsuyoshi; Composition: KONO Takamitsu; Character Design: CHIKAOKA Nao; Animation Production: XEBEC
School-life comedy by the author of Minamike.

Ga-Rei Zero (Chiba TV, 10/05 (Su) 24:00)
Original: SEGAWA Hajime; Director: AOKI Ei; Composition: TAKAYAMA Katsuhiko; Character Design: HORIUCHI Osamu; Planning Producer: ITO Atsushi; Animation Production: asread; Animation Production Assistance: AIC Spirits
Schoolboy's sudden romance is a Ghostbuster, brings him on the force.

Skip Beat (TV Tokyo, 10/05 (Su) 26:00)
Comic: NAKAMURA Yoshiki; Director: SAYAMA Kiyoko; Composition: SEKIJIMA Mayori; Animation Production: Hal Film Maker
Girls' romantic "comedy"; schoolgirl Kyoko follows her boyfriend as a housekeeper from Kyoto to Tokyo as he becomes a musical star, only to be spurned; rather than succumb to tears, she resolves to outdo his career.

Vampire Knight Guilty (TV Tokyo, 10/06 (Mo) 25:00)
Original: HINO Matsuri; Director: SAYAMA Kiyoko; Composition: OKADA Mari; Character Designer: NISHIDA Asako; Animation Production: Studio Deen
Guilty of being a direct continuation under a different series name.

ef - a tale of melodies. (tvk, 10/06 (Mo) 26:15)
Original: minori, KAGAMI Yu, Mikage; Director: OONUMA Shin; Supervising Director: SHINBO Akiyuki; Series Composition/Script: TAKAYAMA Katsuhiko; Character Planning: NANAO Naru; Character Design/Animation Director: SUGIYAMA Nobuhiro; Music: Tenmon, YANAGI Eiichiro; Animation Production: SHAFT
Sequel to the previous series of third-person looks at two-character romances.

Kurozuka (Animax, 10/07 (Tu) 22:00)
Novel: YUMEMAKURA Baku; Comic: NOGUCHI Takashi; Director: ARAKI Tetsuro; Character Design/Chief Director: SHINO Masanori; Composition: FUJIOKA Yoshinobu, SHIRADO Tsutomu, ARAKI Tetsuro; Animation Production: Madhouse; Production: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Adaption of a SF novel modernising on old legends; a member of the Minamoto clan, defeated in battle and fleeing, encountered an ogress Kurozuka who turns him into a vampire. Interrupted by Benkei's betrayal, the process is incomplete, and he must take a new body, and lose all memory, every 100 years. Costars an immortal but aged Benkei, as well as Kurozuka herself.

One Outs (NTV, 10/07 (Tu) 24:59)
Original: KAITANI Shinobu; Director: SATO Yuzo; Composition: TAKAYASHIKI Hideo; Character Design: UMEHARA Takahiro; Animation Production: Madhouse
Down-and-out baseball team encounters a talented pitcher who's also an inveterate gambler, willing to work under a contract of "one out pays five million yen, one run takes away fifty million."

Box of the Spirits (NTV, 10/07 (Tu) 25:29)
Original: KYOGOKU Natsuhiko; Director: NAKAMURA Ryosuke; Composition: MURAI Sadayuki; Character Plan: CLAMP; Character Design: NISHIDA Asako; Color Setting: OONO Harue; Prop Design: KIMURA Masahiro; Animation Production: Madhouse
Prizewinning fantastic detective novel, first made into a film and now an animation. Girl is first shoved in front of a train, then kidnapped; meanwhile, corpses start showing up all over Musashino. Her father attempts to reach the bottom of the case.

Stitch! (TV Tokyo/Disney Channel, 10/08 (We) 19:26)
Animation Production: Walt Disney Company x Madhouse
02:06 Zorak > Hm yes a 2002 Disney movie that really wasn't that good at all yet deserves a 5th spinoff great, thanks Disney + Japan!

CHAOS;HEAD (Chiba TV, 10/09 (Th) 23:00)
Plan: 5pb.; Original: Nitro+, 5pb.; Director: ISHIYAMA Takaaki; Composition/Script: INOUE Toshiki; Character Plan: SASAKI Mutsumi; Character Design: SHIMAMURA Shuichi; Sound Director: NAKAJIMA Toshihiko; Animation Production: Madhouse
Recluse nerd stumbles into a world of bizarre murders and his own, sometimes predictive, delusions thereof, amond the landmarks of modern Shibuya.

Tytania (NHK BS-2, 10/09 (Th) 23:32)
Novels: TANAKA Yoshiki; Director: ISHIGURO Noboru; Chief Director: ITO Koji; Character Plan: MIKIMOTO Haruhiko; Character Design: SUGIMITSU Noboru; Mecha Design: MIYATAKE Kazutaka, ITO Koji; Animation Production: Artland
Adaption of a space opera novel by the author of Legend of Galactic Heroes. With all the high-quality record of galactic war and without hundreds of eps of backlog, you have -no excuse- not to watch it, especially with the animation talent behind LoGH and Mushishi.

Nodame Cantabile: Paris (Fuji TV, 10/09 (Th) 24:45)
Comic: NINOMIYA Tomoko; Director: KON Chiaki; Composition: ENOKIDO Yoji; Character Design: SHIMAMURA Shuichi; Animation Production: J.C.Staff
The free spirit and the perfectionist make new friends in, as the official site puts it, "the land of art and amour." More people will watch this than anything else on this list except maybe, maaaaybe Gundam.

Railway Girls ~Girls Be Ambitious~ (tvk, 10/10 (Fr) 21:00
Original: Tomy-Tec; Original Illustration: MIBU Natsuki
Thirteen live-action episodes based on the girls from a series of figures meant to epitomize various railways' young female conductors. Apparently will consist of one episode for "TACHIBANA Raika", two for each of the other vol. 6 girls, and twvo for a new introduction in vol. 7.

Pure Romantica 2 (tvk, 10/11 (Sa) 25:00)
Original: NAKAMURA Shungiku; Director: KON Chiaki; Composition: NAKASE Rika; Character Design: KIKUCHI Yoko; Art Director: HIGASHI Jun'ichi, SHIMIZU Junko; Animation Production: Studio Deen
It's back and it's more drippingly fangirl-bait than ever.

Negibouzu no Asataro (TV Asahi, 10/12 (Su) 06:30)
Original: IINO Kazuyoshi; Series Director: IKEDA Yoko; Composition: YONEMURA Shoji; Character Design: INAGAMI Akira; Chief Animation Director: KOMATSU Kozue; Animation Production: Toei Animation
Based on a childrens' book about a samurai onion.

Michiko and Hatchin (Fuji TV, 10/15 (We) 26:08)
Director: YAMAMOTO Sayo; Composition/Script: UJITA Takashi; Character Design: SHIMIZU Hiroshi; Planning/Animation Production: Manglobe
Someone else wrote far more about this than I possibly could.

Beautiful Skin Family (, Fall 2008)
Original: LoveLabo x Bandai
Following the long tradition of animation meant to sell model kits comes an animation meant to sell girls' makeup.

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Biohazard: Degeneration (theatrical, 10/18)
Director: KAMIYA Makoto; Script: SUGA Shotaro; Animation Production: Digital Frontier; Production: CAPCOM x Sony Pictures

ICHI (theatrical, 10/25)
Original: SHIMOZAWA Kan; Comic: SHINOHARA Kana

True Messiah Legend Fist of the North Star: Legend of Kenshiro (theatrical, Fall 2008)
Production: NSP
Fifth and final of the film + OVA series.

Theatrical Cat Ramen (Cine Saison Shibuya, Fall 2008)
Original: SONISHI Kenji; Director: KAWASAKI Minoru
Cine Saison Late Show. Some kind of thing about anthropomorphized animals?

Evangelion: 2.0 Division (theatrical, 2H 2008)
Chief Director: ANNO Hideaki; Director: TSURUMAKI Kazuya; Character Design: SADAMOTO Yoshiyuki; Mecha Design: YAMASHITA Ikuto; Animation Production: Khara

Peggy Sue - Leap to the Land of Mirage (theatrical, 2H 2008)
Director: HOSODA Mamoru; Script: OKUDERA Satoko; Animation Production: GONZO; Production: Gaga Communications x GDH

Yes! Precure 5GoGo! Happy Birthday in the Land of Sweets (theatrical, 11/08)
Animation Production: Toei Animation
As the 2ch thread for this is now titled, "No! Precure 5."

Dramatic Baseball Movie: Major - Winning Shot (theatrical, 12/13)
Original: MITSUDA Takuya; Director: KATO Takao; Script: TSUCHIYA Michihiro; Character Design/Animation Director: TAKAMI Akio; Music: NAKAGAWA Kotaro
Fills in between seasons one and two of TV, covering Goro's growth in Fukuoka during his elementary school years.

Bleach Fade to Black Call Out Your Name (theatrical, 12/13)
Original: KUBO Tite; Director: ABE Noriyuki
I'm sorry, with a title that absurdly emo I can't take this movie seriously at all.

Gegege-no-Kitaro: Japan Explodes (theatrical, 12/20)
Animation Production: Toei Animation
Kitaro 40th Anniversary project. "An enemy that surpasses yokai". I find it so hard to get used to how kind and gentle TV Kitaro is now after watching bits of the first series followed by Hakaba Kitaro.

Someday's Dreamers (theatrical, 2008/12)
Director: NAKAHARA Shun; Script: YAMADA Norie
Live-action adaption.

Gatchaman (theatrical, 2008/12)
Animation Production: Tatsunoko Pro
CG animation.

The Space Show (theatrical, 2008)
Original: Bessame Mucho; Director: MASUNARI Koji; Script: KURATA Hideyuki; Character Design: ISHIHAMA Masashi; Animation Production: A-1 Pictures

20th Century Boys (theatrical, 2008)
Original: URASAWA Naoki
Live-action adaptation.

Pattenrai! Story of a Southern Island's Water (theatrical, 2008)
Director: ISHIGURO Noboru; Script: TABE Toshiyuki; Animation Production: Mushi-Pro

Street Fighter (theatrical, 2008)
Capcom x Hyde Park
Live-action adaption, the only mention of which is in a Capcom investor report from 2006. Don't hold your breath.

Azure Ul (theatrical, 2006-2008)
Animation Production: Gainax
Rerelease/redo of a movie originally paired with Honneamise, later redone in '98. Yeah, this isn't gonna happen, Anno's got his hands full with Eva.

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Mashrambo 1 "Strengthen your Heart" and 2 "Endless Earth" (OVA, 9/21)
Editing Director: NAKAMURA Kenji; Animation Production: Toei Animation
Re-edit, in the vein of so many other boys' action "movies"; unlike those, however, this is direct-to-video, something Moonphase hasn't caught yet.

Goku Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei vol. 1 (OVA, 10/17)
Original: KUBOTA Koji; Director: SHINBO Akiyuki; Animation Production: SHAFT
What happens when the perpetually-overthinking teacher and his not-a-harem of comedically-played harem archetypes don't quiiiiiiiite sell enough to justify a new TV series? They get a two-volume OVA, sold with consecutive bound volumes of the comics, to continue justifying more awesome black humor and prewar design and cultural quirks.

MS igLoo 2 vol. 1 (OVA, 10/24)
Director: IMANISHI Takashi; Script: IMANISHI Takashi, OHNOGI Hiroshi; Base Mechanical Design: OGAWARA Kunio; Supervisor: IZUBUCHI Yutaka; Design Works: IZUBUCHI Yutaka, KATOKI Hajime, ARAMAKI Shinji, YAMANE Kimitoshi, FUJIOKA Kenki; Setting Research: NAGASE Tadashi; Music: OHASHI Megumi; Planning/Production: Sunrise
Three(?) more episodes of MSV porn in 3DCG; this set focuses on Feddie soldiers testing experimental weapons on the surface. In episode one, we get to follow the field tests of a man-portable anti-MS rocket launcher during Zeon's first wave of landings in central Eurasia.

Prince of Tennis National Finals vol. 2 (OVA, 10/24)
Original: KONOMI Takeshi; Director: TADA Shunsuke
Almost entirely summed up by the title; dashing young tennis players compete in the national finals, to screams of fangirl glee.

switch vol. 1 (OVA, 10/24)
Original: naked ape; Director: OOHIRA Naoki; Character Design: ITO Takeshi; Script: TAKAHASHI Natsuko; Animation Production: Actas
Stylish action starring two narcotics detectives in Tokyo's Meguro ward. OVA has original story.

Gunslinger Girl -Il Teatrino- OVA (OVA, 10/24)
Adaption of chapters 1-2 of comic volume 6.

Platonic Heart Battle 1 (OVA, 10/29)
Director/Script: FUJIMOTO Yoshitaka; Character Plan: HAPPO Bijin; Composition/Script: SHIRANE Hideki; Character Design: MIYATA Naomi; Animation Production: Studio Kikan
The official descriptor of this is "Pretty girl sexy battle action". I'm not sure there's much more to say, given that the setting is indeed a girls-only battle tournament.

Negima! Ala Alba #2 (OVA, 11/17)
Original: AKAMATSU Ken; Animation Production: Shaft.
Covers chapters 178-180.

Needless to say, this is going to be a monster in terms of the number of shows available for watching, so I'm curious to know what people here are going to be taking a shot at.

A lot of sequels on my end and Nodame 2, Clannad AS, and ef - a tale of melodies are going to be on my watch list for sure since all three have had pretty good track records and I'm certainly curious to see how Nodame 2 does without Kasai on the director's chair.

Class 5-2 might be a comedy I pick up just because of the creator who had previously worked on Minami-ke is behind this one. The other rom coms will wait for threads/recommendations to be made before I actually take the plunge. Jigoku Shoujo 3 might be worth a watch, though not having seen the first 2 might be a deterrent (I doubt it though) but Tytania will be on the list for sure.

As always, I'm expecting a pleasant surprise or two to pop up. Obviously summer's surprise was Detroit Metal City (a surprise for me anyhow since I hadn't read the manga ahead of time) and Natsume Yuujinchou (which is as Mushishi-lite as you can get). If the pattern follows through, I should be picking up a few more in additions to the ones listed.

So, what's on your plate for this season?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Ehhh.. I've stopped taking ANN seriously with their Spring/Fall articles and the only reason I read them is for amusement value. RandomCuriosity is where I go get more reliable opinions and look at screencaps to see if the show is interesting.

In any event, To Aru Majutsu no Index does look to have some potential as long as it doesn't fall into the Shana trap of having a romance stuck on infinite loop, put in annoying characters (like Black Star from Soul Eater), or overstay its welcome by continuing forever.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'm just at a loss for words when I saw that spinning dino. And during the last 3 minutes of the episode. Talk about an eye-opener.

Kannagi: It's been done before, but I'll be damned if I didn't enjoy that first episode. The comedy and the character interactions hooked be in right off the bat. Just based off of that, it looks like there's a solid slice of life comedy to be had here.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Tonight's not looking to be a good night.

Hyakko: Just seems really "meh." The characters don't engage me all that much and it looks like to be the standard high school hijinks deal. Will sit through maybe 2 more episodes for this to prove itself or out it goes.

Kameko DX: Definite pass. Concept has been done before except this time, the jokes aren't even funny. Also, failure to make me care about the characters and the over-the-top pacing just doesn't fit my tastes for a good show. Preview doesn't look promising either.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?