Summer 2008 Thread - More sequels and stuff

Yup, it's that time again. Let's see what ADTRW tells us is in store this time.

Originally Posted by ADTRW

Chocolate Underground (Cellphone/steaming, early summer)
Director: HAMANA Takayuki, Script: YOSHIMURA Kiyoko, Production: Production I.G / Trans Arts
Based on a British childrens' novel "Bootleg" in which, in a country that's banned sweets, two boys find a cache of cocoa and set up a chocolate factory. Comic adaption ran in Extra Margaret.

Someday's Dreamers (theatrical, early summer)
Director: NAKAHARA Shun, Script: YAMADA Norie
Live-action adaption.

Ultraviolet: Code 044 (Animax, 07/01 (Tu) 22:00)
Director: DEZAKI OsamuProduction: Madhouse, Production Assistance: Tezuka Productions
Dezaki whores himself out for a continuation of the American SF flick.

Slayers Revolution (thread) (TV Tokyo, 07/02 (We) 25:20)
Director: WATANABE Takashi, Composition: TAKAYAMA Haruo, Production: J.C. Staff
Fourth season, with an original story. Set to broadcast in two split cours.

Antique Bakery (Fuji TV, 07/03 (Th) 24:45)
Director: OKUMURA Yoshiaki, Script: TAKAHASHI Natsuko, Production: Nippon Animation / Shirogumi, Production Assistance: Synergy SP, Sweets Producer: Toshi YOROIZUKA
Airing in Noitamina, confirmed for 12 eps. Gay bakers have love triangles.

Hidamari Sketch X 365 (TBS, 07/03 25:25)
Director: SHINBO Akiyuki, Composition: HASEGAWA Nahoko / YOGUCHI Natsue, Production: SHAFT
Your seasonly dose of Shinbo crack. Now with extra Xbox jokes.

Strike Witches (Chiba TV, 07/03 (Th) "late night")
Director / Character Design: TAKAMURA Kazuhiro, Composition: Striker Unit, Production: Gonzo
I can't remember if this was the kind of creepy one about little girls that are half-plane or the really creepy one about little girls that are half-plane. Either way, it's Gonzo, so...

Highlander (theatrical, 07/05)
Director: KAWAJIRI Yoshiaki, Production: Madhouse
The Highlander series appears to have been put out to pasture in Japan, much like aging baseballers and B-list actors often are.

Birdy the Mighty Decode (Tokyo MX, 07/05 (Sa) 22:30)
Director: AKANE Kazuki, Composition: OHNOGI Hiroshi, Production: A-1 Pictures, Creative Producer: IZUBUCHI Yutaka
Another long-rumored return from the dead. Confirmed for 13 episodes.

Natsume's Friend Register (TV Tokyo, 07/07 (Mo) 25:00)
Director: OMORI Takahiro, Composition: KANEMAKI Ken'ichi, Production: Brains Base
Natsume, a boy who can see yokai, writes in a book his grandmother left to him labeled "Friends Registry"; writing a yokai's name seals a contract with it. After a while, they come wanting out of the deal. The comic originally ran in LaLa.

Mission-E (AT-X, 07/10 (Th) 10:30)
Concept / Script: SASAKI Ichiro, Director: KATO Toshiyuki, Composition / Script: SATO Takuya, Script: NISHIMURA Junji / KAWASE Toshifumi, HANADA Jukki
Sequel to Code-E.

Blade of the Immortal (AT-X, 07/13 (Su) 24:00)
Director: MASHIMO Koichi, Composition: KAWASAKI Hiroyuki, Production: Bee Train
"Hey, did you hear they're animating BotI?" "Holy poo poo, cool. How're they gonna gently caress it up, by giving it to Gonzo?" "Weeeeeelll, you don't have to worry about -that-, per se..." "Oh loving christ, don't tell me it's Bee Train."

Negima! Ala Alba #1 (OVA, 07/17)
Production: SHAFT
Covers chapters 176-177.

School Rumble Third Semester #25 (with book 21 of the comics, 07/17)
Director: TAKAMATSU Shinji, Composition / Script: TOKITA Hiroko, Production: Studio Comet
Continuation of the popular romcom.

Amuri in Star Ocean vol. 2 (OVA, 07/25)
Creator / Director / Script: YONETANI Yoshitomo, Production: Studio Hibari CG Team
Continuation of the 3d fanservice OVA.

Koihime†Musou (Chiba TV, July '08)
Director: NAKANISHI Nobuaki, Composition / Script: ZAPPA Go, Production: Dogakobo
Moemoe Warriors.

Sekirei (Chiba TV/Tokyo MX, July '08)
Director: KUSAKAWA Keizou, Script: YOSHIOKA Takao, Production: Seven Arcs
108 disturbingly-attractive experiments in genetic engineering fight each other in a massive tournament fight to get into the pants of a loser dropout.

The Familiar of Zero ~Three Princesses' Rondo~ (Chiba TV, July '08)
Director: KO Yu (MORIKAWA Shigeru), Composition: HASEGAWA Nahoko, Production: J.C. Staff
"You'd have to be a masochist to watch that." "Isn't that the point?"

Ryoko's Case Files (Chiba TV, July '08)
Director: IWASAKI Taro, Composition: KAWASAKI Hiroyuki, Production: Dogakobo
Confirmed for 13 eps. Horror/detective episodic where the title character leads a private security company conducting supernatural invistigations. Classy main character design and music is fighting what will probably be a losing war against terminally unclassy subcharacter design of "maids with machine guns".

Someday's Dreamers: Summer's Sky (TV Asahi, July '08)
Script: YAMADA Norie, Director: KOBAYASHI Osamu, Production: Hal Film Maker

NOGIZAKA Haruka's Secret (Yomiuri TV, July '08)
Director: NAWA Munenori, Composition: TAMAI Tsuyoshi, Production: Dio Media
Her secret is that she's a huge nerd, and the protagonist blackmails his way into her panties with it. There, I saved you between 300 and 650 minutes of your life.
Also, it's never a good sign for a show when the plot summary on the site is buried behind a link labeled "いんとろだくしょん".

World Destruction (July '08))
Director: TADA Shunsuke, Composition: YOKOTANI Masahiro, Production: Production I.G
Multimedia production instigated by Sega. The hero, a slightly nihilistic boy, one day receives an invitation to the "Committee for World Destruction", and turns out to be the key to destroying his world where humans are raised as livestock.

The Sky Crawlers (theatrical, 08/02)
Director: OSHII Mamoru, Script: ITO Chihiro, Production: Production I.G
Adaption of alternate-history novels following a young fighter pilot squadron in a world where war is waged as a sport; there's an early review up at http://jasongray.blogspot.com/2008/...kes-flight.html .

Cobra the Animation vol.1 (OVA, 08/29)
Script / Storyboard / Director: TERASAWA Buichi
New OVA production for the 30th anniversary of the famous comic.

Lucky Star OVA (OVA, 08/29)
Director: TAKEMOTO Yasuhiro, Production: Kyoto Animation

Gurren Lagann movie: Gurren Arc (theatrical, 09/06)
Director: IMAISHI Hiroyuki, Composition: NAKASHIMA Kazuki
Summary of the earlier portions of TV.

School Rumble Third Semester #26 (with book 22 of the comics, 09/17)
Director: TAKAMATSU Shinji, Composition / Script: TOKITA Hiroko, Production: Studio Comet
Continuation of the popular romcom.

Amuri in Star Ocean vol. 3 (OVA, 09/26)
Creator / Director / Script: YONETANI Yoshitomo, Production: Studio Hibari CG Team

Detroit Metal City (OVA, summer '08)
Director: NAGAHAMA Hiroshi, Production: Studio 4°C
Adaption of gag comic about a farmboy who joins a heavy metal band after moving to Tokyo. Sadly, the thread appears to have fallen.

Detroit Metal City (theatrical, summer '08)
Director: LEE Toshio, Script: OOMORI Mika, Distribution: Toho
Live-action adaption.

Kara no Kyokai 5: "Contradictory Spiral" (thread) (theatrical at Teatro Shinjuku late show, summer '08)
Production: ufotable

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (theatrical, summer '08)
Director: MIYAZAKI Hayao, Production: Studio Ghibli
Miyazaki + heavy watercolor style. A goldfish princess strives to become human, befriending a human boy on the way.

So far, only Hidamari Sketch X 365 has really fallen on my radar only because I loved the first season's laid-back approach. It's a pretty solid slice of life series that's only a few notches below ARIA and YKK in my book, so definitely worth taking a look at. Besides, it's directed by Shinbo of Zetsubou Sensei, Pani Poni Dash, and Negima!? fame. What's not to like?

The Production I.G. works looks somewhat passable, but then again, that feels just like their m.o.: to make above average works that really aren't utterly fantastic. So if nothing else, World Destruction and Sky Crawler are going to be "safe" shows sort of like the way Real Drive and Library Wars are right now. Above average and enjoyable, but nothing to get overly hyped about (unlike Kure-nai).

Unfortunately, that's all I can see that's caught my eye. The rest of the shows just don't sound too appealing. Blade of the Immortal is off my radar until someone confirms that Bee Train's horrid pacing doesn't come back to haunt us all. School Rumble is already old and drawn-out. And finally, there's no way I'm touching Zero no Tsukaima 3. Just not happening. Oh, and there's some Slayers for old school goodness. There's a thread for that somewhere on here.

So anything that anyone will be looking forwards to this time around? Any show where I should take a deep breath and take the plunge just for the hell of it?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Shows that are coming out haven't been too spectacular, so it's highly probable that I'm going to use this opportunity to catch up on a lot of old shows. Aside from maybe a show or two to emerge after this that can catch my interest, there's nothing much to cheer for.

Dropped:

Sekirei - I really liked this show a lot more back when it was called Tenjho Tenge. Unfortunately, TenTen was a piece of crap, which means it took a remarkable effort to make Sekirei even worse by attempting a serious plot and failing terribly.

Strike Witches - I've complained about this show enough about how it's just mindless pandering. It's a fanservice show. In fact, it's not even a good fanservice show. Just give me some Nanoha ripoff next time because shit show is shit.

Maybe:

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu - about a girl trying to appear normal and doing her damnedest to make sure no one finds out she's actually a hardcore otaku. I've seen slapstick rom coms done before, but I'm willing to give this one a shot since the first episode did manage to amuse me if nothing else. Some of the side characters could get annoying though, so I'm not ready to fully commit on this one.

Natsume Yuujinchou - Actually decent premise even if the first episode just doesn't quite grab at you. I'm seeing a lot of similarities between this show and Mokke (which, if you remember, I described as Mushishi-lite). Mokke, however, was a bit boring, and this show could fall down that path. I'll cautiously stick with this one.

Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto Natsu no Sora - this slice of life show even tests my patience, which says quite a bit actually. The first episode doesn't quite grab my attention, but like Natsume, this series does have a fair amount of potential. I'll keep on struggling with this one until I can decide whether to drop it or keep up with it.

Keepers:

Hidamari Sketch x365 - Still the best show out right now. Shinbo shows us that he knows how to make a decent slice-of-life comedy and keep it interesting.

I could see myself picking up World Destruction and Detroit Metal City as a last hope sort of deal. Don't know how the Slayers fans are eating up the new season, but I'll leave them to that since I'm not too interested in Slayers at the moment.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Slayers Revolution has been fantastic so far. It feels just like the first three seasons to me, and that's never a bad thing. I was a bit worried about the little green guy at first since he looked like a possibly useless mascot character, but he's actually been okay.

Ryoko's Case Files could be interesting since I'm always up for a good supernatural detective show, though the maids with guns make me a bit wary. I might check out World Destruction too, but I don't really want to spoil the DS game.

Quote:

Ultraviolet: Code 044 (Animax, 07/01 (Tu) 22:00)
Director: DEZAKI OsamuProduction: Madhouse, Production Assistance: Tezuka Productions
Dezaki whores himself out for a continuation of the American SF flick.

Oh dear god, WHY?

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

I actually didn't think there'd be a whole lot worth watching this season, but I've been pleasantly surprised.

Birdy the Mighty is looking to be the seasons dark horse, Sekirei looks like it's going to be fun in a "turn your brain off and watch it" sort of way, World Destruction is worth watching simply because I love no two studios more than I.G and JC, and Nogizaka Haruka's Secret seems like it could be potential funny.

Also, Telepathy Girl Ran for befriending. It's like Nanoha, only not so lesbian. Oh and before I forget, Hidamari Sketch x365 is a given.

At least, that's what I'll be watching out of what has aired so far.

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