Summer Anime 2009 List

I’m a bit late in posting about anime series to be shown this summer 2009 basically because I’ve been too busy tending to my seiyuu stuff and BL dramas. However, looking at the list of series to be shown, summer doesn’t seem interesting especially when compared to the last winter and spring schedules. It’s a bit sad that there was nothing much to look forward to (IMO). Anyway, for the sake of recording, here are series to be shown this summer, arranged alphabetically.

SERIES

AOI HANA
青い花
date: July 01, 2009
website: http://www.aoihana.tv/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycjPEkmbK8U
intro: Manjoume Fumi and Okudaira Akira are childhood friends. When Fumi moved away, they lost contact with each other until ten years later, when they met as high school students. This is a story of growing up, getting through hard times and maintaining ties despite everything.
seiyuu spotlight: Nakahara Mai, Hamada Kenji, nothing much
verdict: NO. I tend to avoid yuri vibes.

BAKEMONOGATARI
化物語
date: July 03, 2009
website: http://www.bakemonogatari.com/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPgwOt0Q_98
intro: This anime is centered on Araragi Koyomi’s supernatural encounters with his schoolmates, including a girl, Hitagi, who fell on his lap and who he discovered to have no weight at all.
opening theme: Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari – supercell
seiyuu spotlight: Kamiya Hiroshi, Sakurai Takahiro, Saitou Chiwa
verdict: YES. This gives off a darker Natsume Yuujinchou feel. What’s with Kamiya and supernatural stuff? I am guilty, I’m watching it just because it’s Kamiya. The premise did not even impress me.

CANAAN (428 the Animation)
カナン
date: July 04, 2009
website: http://www.canaan.jp/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bxy3Gt2coE
intro: Canaan is based on the scenario from the Nintendo Wii game 428: Fuusasareta Shibuya de. Initially named 428 the Animation, this series is about a female detective, a virologist, a writer, a young man and other people coming together to piece together weird happenings in Shibuya.
opening theme: mind as Judgement – Faylan
ending theme: My heaven – Annabel
seiyuu spotlight: Sakamoto Maaya, Sawashiro Miyuki, Minagawa Junko, Hirata Hiroaki, Tanaka Rie, Ohkawa Tohru
verdict: YES. The story looks interesting and the trailer looks amazing. While there’s a rather large number of females in the story, it doesn’t look like it’ll turn into a brainless harem thing (hopefully). The seiyuu cast is impressive, too and Hirata’s character is named Santana XD.

ELEMENT HUNTERS
エレメントハンター
date: July 04, 2009
website: http://elementhunters.com/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNmUjFgmQbQ
intro: This is a science fiction series directed towards a younger audience with the concept of identifying and collecting elements.
opening theme: First Pain – Ishikawa Chiaki
seiyuu spotlight: Kuwashima Houko, Sasaki Nozomu, Kobayashi Sanae
verdict: YES. I watched Mari and Gali last time, I plan to watch this, too. So what’s wrong with feeling excited upon seeing table of elements in an anime series? :P. I need to brush up on my chemistry stuff anyway. I hope this is amazing.

FIGHT IPPATSU! JUUDEN-CHAN!!!
date: June 25, 2009
website: http://mv.avex.jp/juden-chan/
trailer: none
intro: A policewoman named Juuden-chan comes from a parallel world to the current world to “charge up” dejected people.
opening theme: Charge! by Fukuhara Kaori and Takagaki Ayahi
ending theme: Onegai Sweetheart – by Fukuhara Kaori
seiyuu spotlight: Fukuhara Kaori, Kawasumi Ayako, Takahashi Hiroki
verdict: NO. Blurry premise and probably a fanservice anime. This was announced to be shown in May, right? I guess they held it until summer.

GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
GA 芸術科アートデザインクラス
date: July 06, 2009
website: http://mv.avex.jp/ga/
trailer: none
intro: This series follows the adventures of five art club members, Kisaragi, Noda-Miki, Tomokane, Namiko and Kyouju.
seiyuu spotlight: Tomatsu Haruka, Sawashiro Miyuki
verdict: NO. I have a feeling this’ll be another K-ON! or Lucky Star.

HETALIA – AXIS POWERS 2
ヘタリア Axis Powers
date: July 27, 2009
website: http://hetalia.com/
intro: This is the continuation of the notorious, country-cracked series, Hetalia.
seiyuu spotlight: Namikawa Daisuke, Takahashi Hiroki, Kaida Yuki, Konishi Katsuyuki, Sugiyama Noriaki, so many
verdict: YES. This is the only anime I download religiously, I will not pass the second season up!

KANAMEMO
かなめも
date: July 5, 2009
website: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/kanamemo/
trailer: none
intro: Nakamichi Kana lost her parents and recently, her grandmother. To sustain herself, she works in a newspaper delivery service filled with cute/beautiful girls. This series follows Kana’s daily adventures.
opening theme: Kimi he to Tsunagu Kokoro – Toyosaki Aki, Mizuhara Kaoru, Kugimiya Rie
ending theme: Yahho!! – Horie Yui
seiyuu spotlight: Endou Aya, Kugimiya Rie, Horie Yui
verdict: NO. Too many females for my liking.

NEEDLESS
ニードレス
date: July 02, 2009
website: http://needless.jp/
trailer: none
intro: Needless are people who live in the “Black spots” or quarantined places all over Japan after World War III. They are people who have developed mysterious powers.
opening theme: modern strange cowboy – GRANRODEO
ending theme: Aggressive zone – Needless★Girls+
seiyuu spotlight: Endo Aya, Koyasu Takehito, Itou Kentarou, Taniyama Kishou, Katou Emiri
verdict: NO. But maaaan, Koyasu is there. I didn’t like the design and story at all. But Koyasu is there D; /tears hair.

PRINCESS LOVER!
プリンセスラバー！
date: July 05, 2009
website: http://www.prilover.tv/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M1aQeNLx_s
intro: This series is based on the adult game of the same name
opening theme: Princess Primp! – Hashimoto Miyuki
ending theme: SSD – yozuca*
seiyuu spotlight: Terashima Takuma, Katou Emiri, Sasaki Nozomu, Koyasu Takehito
verdict: NO. As much as I love Terashima and Koyasu, I have to pass this one.

SEITOKAI NO ICHIZON
生徒会の一存
date: July
website: n/a
trailer: none
intro: Sugisaki Ken is the only male member of the student council. The rest are beautiful girls. His responsibility is recording the minutes of their meetings and assist their president, Sakurano Kurimu
seiyuu spotlight: n/a
verdict: NO. Harem.

SORA NO MANIMANI
宙のまにまに
date: July 07, 2009
website: http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/soramani/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD4dvo_4ElQ
intro: Oyagi Saku has just returned to his hometown as a high school student, after leaving it when he was a child. There he meets his old childhood friend Mihoshi, who dragged him to her astronomy club even though years before, their separation had been awkward.
opening theme: Super Noisy Nova – Sphere
seiyuu spotlight: Itou Kanae, Li Mei Chan (I-pin, Katekyou Hitman Reborn), Matsukaze Masaya
verdict: NO. I don’t particularly find it interesting.

SPICE AND WOLF 2
狼と香辛料 II
date: July 08, 2009
website: http://www.spicy-wolf.com/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9QBKXdAPOc
intro: This is a continuation of the first Spice and Wolf series
ending theme: Perfect World – Rocky Chack
seiyuu spotlight: Koshimizu Ami, Fukuyama Jun, Paku Romi
verdict: NO. I haven’t watched the first series.

TAISHOU YAKYUU MUSUME.
大正野球娘。
date: July 02, 2009
website: http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/taisho/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsR9h2VLzdc
intro: Two girls, Koume and Akiki, wanted to make a baseball team. It was then 1925 and not many female baseball teams exist. Before they can make a team, though, they have to find members and more importantly, learn how to play baseball.
opening theme: Romantic Strike – Itou Kanae, Nakahara Mai, et. al.
ending theme: Yume Miru Kokoro – Itou Kanae
seiyuu spotlight: Itou Kanae, Nakahara Mai
verdict: NO. What’s with baseball recently, though? I have yet to finish Major when two new baseball series were shown come winter/spring. Now, there’s another one o.o.

TOKYO MAGNITUDE 8.0
東京マグニチュード8.0
date: July 09, 2009
website: http://tokyo-m8.com/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTjpjnrhSp4
intro: An 8.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Tokyo, destroying famous landmarks like Tokyo Tower and Rainbow Bridge. Amid the chaos and destruction brought by the earthquake, siblings Mirai and Yutaka hurry to find their mother and reach their house in Setagaya with the help of a woman named Mari.
opening theme: Kimi no Uta – abingdon boys school
ending theme: M/elody – Tsuji Shion
seiyuu spotlight: Hanamura Satomi (5 centimeters per second), Kaida Yuko, Kobayashi Yumiko
verdict: MAYBE. I usually do not watch destruction-themed series unless it looks great. This one looks promising, but the trailer doesn’t give out any other information that would help us guess some of the plot’s parts. The seiyuu cast doesn’t impress me, too, although I’m kind og interested since Bones is doing the animation and they said they’ll be as “realistic as possible”. I might try the first few episodes.

UMI MONOGATARI ~Anata ga Ite Kureta Koto~
うみものがたり ～あなたがいてくれたコト～
date: June 24, 2009
website: http://www.sea-story.tv/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmtzWyVaPzQ
intro: Urin and Marin are pure maidens who live in the sea, although they long to see the land and sky above their home. One day, a ring fell into the sea and they retrieved it. They went to the shore to return the ring and ended up meeting Kanon, a maiden of the sky. The meeting of Marin and Kanon awakened a strong magic.
opening theme: violet – marble
ending theme: Toumei na Inori – Itou Masumi
seiyuu spotlight: Horie Yui, Sawashiro Mika
verdict: NO. It looks like a cute magical girl series, but I’m not really in any mood for magical girls right now :).

UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI
うみねこのなく頃に
date: July 01, 2009
website: http://umineko.tv/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSPOwJArGig
intro: This is another one of the “Naku Koro Ni” franchise, the one I’m most familiar with is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The year is 1986 and the Ushiromiya familly is meeting in their island, Rokkenjima, to discuss the dividing of assets of the head of the family. A typhoon suddenly traps everyone in the island and one by one, murders are taking place. There are eleven family members, five servants and one physician. Who is the murderer?
opening theme: One-Winged Bird – Shikata Akiko
ending theme: La Divina Tragedia ~Makyoku~ – Jimang
seiyuu spotlight: Ono Daisuke, Inoue Marina, Suzumura Kenichi, Kugimiya Rie
verdict: MAYBE. I’m a sucker for mysteries and I like the seiyuu cast as well as the music and setting. But I’ve had bad experiences with the Naku Koro Ni stuff. They scare the hell out of me D;. I’ll either bite my tongue and watch this or be a scaredy-cat and run away :(.

WEIß SURVIVE
ヴァイス・サヴァイヴ
date: June 05, 209
website: http://ws-tcg.com/anime/
episode 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHQ0I9smWg4
intro: This card game series is about Takeshi and Michi who had gotten trapped into the Card Battle world. In order to return to their world, they have to fight their way out.
seiyuu spotlight: Izumi Kitta, Nakamoto Nobuhisa
verdict: NO. I really am not interested in card games.

YOKU WAKARU GENDAI MAHOU
よくわかる現代魔法
date: July 11, 2009 (with advance broadcast on July 07)
website: http://www.gendaimahou.com/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEEzRHBjz1U
intro: Morishita Koyomi is often mistaken for a grade school student because of her height. This clumsy girl trains magic under the guidance of Anehara Misa, one of the most powerful magicians of her time.
opening theme: programming for non-fiction – Asou Natsuko
ending theme: Made in WONDER – Aki Misato
seiyuu spotlight: Nonaka Ai, Tomatsu Haruka
verdict: NO. More harem, more seemingly-pointless plot.

ZAN SAYONARA ZETSUBOU SENSEI
懺・さよなら絶望先生
date: July 04, 2009
website: http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/zetsubou3/
intro: A continuation of the continuation of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei
opening theme: Ringo Mogire Beam! – Ootsuki Kenji and Zetsubou Shoujo-tachi
ending theme: Zetsubou Restaurant – Zetsbou Shoujo-tachi
seiyuu spotlight: Kamiya Hiroshi, Yajima Akiko, Nonaka Ai, Inoue Marina
verdict: NO. I have a short attention span. The second SZS did not impress me anymore, so I stopped watching it.

OVAs

KAWA NO HIKARI
川の光
date: June 20, 2009
website: http://www.nhk.or.jp/savethefuture/kawanohikari/
intro: This special anime is based on an ecological novel of the same name, with common rats as main characters. These rats lose their home because of new infrastructures made by humans, so they travel upstream to start a new life.
seiyuu spotlight: Orikasa Fumiko, Yamadera Kouichi, Hirano Aya
verdict: YES. Ecological stuff captivate me, although I do not really like rats.

SAINT SEIYA – THE LOST CANVAS (Meiou Shinwa)
聖闘士星矢 THE LOST CANVAS 冥王神話
date: June 2009
website: http://www.tms-e.com/english/search/index.php?pdt_no=329
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW9v4fyKw8k
intro: This OVA is set 243 years before the first Saint Seiya arc. It focuses on the friendship of Tenma and Alone.
opening theme: The Realm of Athena – EUROX
seiyuu spotlight: Shimono Hiro, Kakihara Tetsuya, Ono Daisuke, Kamiya Hiroshi, Kobayashi Sanae, too many…
verdict: YES. I haven’t watched ALL of the Saint Seiya stuff around, but I’m a newbie willing to learn <3.

UTAWARERUMONO
うたわれるもの
date: June 05, 2009
website: http://aquaplus.jp/ova_uta/
trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uWfGIOfiI
intro: This OVA is a spinoff of the previous Utawarerumono series.
opening theme: adamanat faith – Suara
ending theme: Yume no Tsuzuki – Uehara Rena
seiyuu spotlight: Koyama Rikiya, Namikawa Daisuke, Kugimiya Rie
verdict: NO. I don’t know much about the Utawarerumono series so

OTHER OVAs:
– 15 Bishoujo Hyouryuuki
– Aika Zero
– Negima
– Jungle Emperor Leo Super Show
– Akane Iro no Somaru Saka – Hardcore
– Nodame Cantabile OAD
– Minami-ke OAD

There isn’t really anything good to look forward to for me this summer, aside from Hetalia. As usual the list is riddled with Harem/Shoujo slice of life stuff, and I was expecting some shounen or mecha, too :\. Anyway, let’s hope winter will bring hope o/.