It has been a fair while since I have had the chance to review the anime straight from Japan, however with LEGAL simulcasting becoming more and more widespread today, and the fact that anime series seem to be snatched up faster then before, having us wait only months instead of years for a title released in Japan to be available in English, I think it is appropriate that I give reviewing this years Winter anime titles in Japan (Or Summer if you are in the Southern Hemisphere). As I wish to maintain a website that focuses on the legal purchase of anime titles over watching them through other means (Not trying to judge anyone here), I will not be reviewing any of the series mentioned until at least one of the criteria are met:
a) There is a legal simulcast available of it.
b) There is a DVD release of it or
c) I suddenly come into a sum of money and can purchase Japanese releases.
Anyway, I do hope I will be able to provide ample analysis to the series I mention below. Read on to see my comments!
The Blurb
Daikichi returns home for his grandfather’s funeral, and to his surprise he meets a little girl in the garden. Daikichi soon finds out that the girl (Rin) is the illegitimate daughter of his grandfather. None of her relatives want to adopt her because they are embarrassed. Feeling sorry for the girl, Daikichi decides to take care of her. However, Daikichi is a bachelor and has no experiance with kids. Rin and Daikichi begin their life together….
My Thoughts
Bunny Drop will for at least the current time, remain one of the more touching mangas I own. Ever since reading the first volume last year, I was hoping for a potential announcement, and was happily surprised when they announced that Usagi Drop will be released this July in Japan, under the famous Noitamina time slot. The series is emotionally moving, not only through the stressful life of Rin as she tries to settle into her new life and meeting new people in her life with Daikichi, but also through the hardships faced by Daikichi himself. Through him adapting his life to living with his younger half-aunt, rescheduling his life and a quest to find out her true mother, it gives a unique perspective on a genre which has otherwise been overused. Considering that Noitamina titles are seemingly popular over here, with Siren Visual releasing Irabu, Tatami and Five Leaves and Madman Entertainment releasing Honey & Clover recently, I would like to think there is a solid chance this title will be picked up for release over in Australia at some point, and of course to the other English-speaking audiences.
My Rating
HIGH
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The Blurb
The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family’s ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar’s nephew and shop-owner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s.
My Thoughts
Ikoku Meiro no Croisee is a series I have only seen a few bits of artwork for, and never actually heard anything else about, even though there is apparently a manga series for the series. This is yet another series which takes place in a non-Japanese country that has every local in the place speaking the language, didn’t know the French spoke Japanese in the 1800s. Of course, that is but a minor conflict in the back of my mind whilst looking at the trailer for this series, which to summarise it in a word, I would call it adorable! The environment designs are very realistic and the character designs are cute to say the least. Sure I am a bit hesitant about the storyline, which could go either great or bland, depending on the writing skills, but I hope I get the chance to check this out sometime. Something I would indeed like to see Simulcasted.
My Rating
HIGH
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The Blurb
A high school senior named Yotaro thought he was an only child — until he met his real mother and discovered that she has 19 daughters, from 0 to 18 years old. He ends up living with his “true family.”
My Thoughts
A series that I had mentioned previously before a couple of days ago. This series shares a number of similarities with the series Sister Princess, one guy finds out he has a number of uniquely different sisters that all suddenly want a piece of him. From what I can tell from the trailer, this is a purely fanservice OVA where Yotaro, his mother and 19 sisters go to the beach and do the normal beach fanservicey things. I have never seen any of the source material, except the website which has occasional journal entries from each of the 19 girls, but this looks waaaay to fanservicey for my tastes.
My Rating
LOW
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The Blurb
A new OVA series to commemorate the series’ 10th anniversary.
My Thoughts
For those who do not know, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is what you would call a supernatural mystery series. With the general murder aspect also accompanies by time loops, a hidden story behind a town and its residents and a mysterious disease, and was all a very successful series. However, then we have the anniversary OVA series of it known as Higurashi Kira. With so many game and manga exclusive arcs to choose from, you would have thought they would have chosen something a bit more “mystery genre” like, but instead they have dealt at least one episode, with the potential of all four being the same, fanservice episodes with worse-off graphical design. “UGH!” I think, I think this is an obvious miss…..
My Rating
LOW
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The Blurb
Akutagawa Takuto is a teenage porn novel writer. He enters Hirameki Gakuen, which accepts only geniuses with outstanding talent. He leads his classmates with his porn skills to win the interclass competition.
My Thoughts
This caught my attention for one reason….. the description is so vague as to what this “interclass competition” is…. I am going to assume it has something in regards to writing ero novels, but besides that, it makes absolutely no sense…. I am undecided if this is even a remotely interesting series or not, but the design isn’t that bad, and it seems similar to the series Doujin Work.
My Rating
MEDIUM
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The Blurb
Taito has been really sleepy lately, and keeps dreaming of a female vampire who says she has given him her “poison.” Sometimes he even thinks he hears her voice when he’s awake. But after surviving an accident that should have killed him, Taito’s world changes drastically and he realizes that his dreams are more real than he thought.
My Thoughts
To be honest, ever since the Twilight Saga has reached insane levels of fandom over here, I have never been a big fan of vampire series, however I still have a soft spot for a decent Japanese vampire anime, and whilst it is hard to tell from the above trailer, which seems to use more pre-rendered art then anything, it does look like a satisfying series. Nothing like a good recurring nightmare to add to someone losing their mind. Overall, the graphics look average with a fair bit of fanservice, but might be good overall.
My Rating
MEDIUM
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The Blurb
Haruka Minazuki and Aoi Kannazuki are freshman high school students and best friends. During the day they help with school activities but at night they thwart enemies like Black Auction and other villains as Red Angel and Blue Angel, the Twin Angel team.
My Thoughts
At first I was wondering what this OVA was supposed to be, after all I am sure I heard about this title being released sometime many a year ago. However, if anything it sounds like a fanservicey episode, so I shall leave it up to you, but as it has not been simulcast before, I doubt they would start now….
My Rating
LOW
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The Blurb
The Story revolves around Narumi Fujishima an ordinary high school boy who remain isolated from his fellow classmates.One afternoon fellow classmate Ayaka Shinozaki invites Narumi to join the gardening club and introduces him a reclusive detective named Alice. Alice hires Narumi as an assisant and put him to work solving the srtange mystories of Angel fix an illegal drug. Little does he know it could put him and Ayaka in serious trouble.
My Thoughts
I like the detective drama, especially when they add something unique, such as a NEET detective who solves mysteries in her Pajamas. The design has a nice modern feel to it and the character designs also look suitable for the type of series (Not cartoonish but not so realistic). I do hope that this gets picked up for simulcast, it is a series I would like to check out at some point!
My Rating
HIGH
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The Blurb
Hugh Anthony Disward inherits an old mansion and a personal library from his grandfather. In the basement of the mansion, he meets a mysterious girl Dalian. She is a Dantalian and a gateway to “Dantalian’s bookshelf”, which stores the prohibited books of the demons. “Gensho (Illusory Books)”, the prohibited books, endanger the balance of the world but people are fascinated by the taboo. Huey and Dalian solve the cases involving Gensho with their ability to access the Dantalian’s bookshelf.
My Thoughts
Another series that has caught my attention. It is not so much the storyline but instead the design used on the characters and environments shown in the trailer. The character designs have that gothic-like appearance to them that really suits the characters and what I assume will be the era that the story takes place. I haven’t actually heard much about this series prior, however I do eagerly look forward to seeing what it can offer…. if a company will kindly simulcast it….
My Rating
HIGH
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The Blurb
Kyouhei, after moving away to Tokyo from his old town to get away from the events that happened, is on a goukon with his friends, including his old neighbor, Shiba. After drinking for a whole night, he and Shiba discover a dead, bloody, body in the elevator. He is told by his younger sister, Utao with her Kamisama Doll, that Aki, an old friend, and his Doll, are the culprits responsible.
My Thoughts
Looking at this series, it looks like your normal every-day anime, however with a main character who they are evidently pushing as the “loli” character of the series. There is nothing much for me to say on this series until I get to see it myself.
My Rating
MEDIUM
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The Blurb
17 year old Konoe Subaru is the butler of classmate Suzutsuki Kanade. One day, classmate Sakamoto Kinjirou discovers that Konoe is actually a girl.
My Thoughts
Nothing really stands out in this series, if given the chance I would take a look at it, but I have my doubts that it would be of any interest, looks too generic.
My Rating
LOW-MEDIUM
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The Blurb
Subaru Hasegawa is a high school freshman, he joins the basketball team but soon finds out the team is inactive because the captain is being suspected as a lolicon. He miraculously is entangled with the job of being the coach of an elementary schools basketball team. With these girls and their love for basketball Subaru will have a hard time getting acknowledged by each of them.
My Thoughts
Guy becomes coach of elementary school basketball team because the high school club captain is questionable….. oh dear….. I don’t like this sound of this…. It is supposed to be a comedy however, so who knows, I would be tempted to check this out if it were possible.
My Rating
MEDIUM
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The Blurb
Four fun-loving schoolgirls take over the former room of a tea ceremony club for their own “Gorakubu”
My Thoughts
This for the most part seems to be a Slice-of-life school comedy series, similar to that of Lucky Star and Azumanga Daioh. This is usually a genre that is hit or miss, however it looks like a lot of fun, so I hope I get the chance to watch it.
My Rating
MEDIUM-HIGH
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The Blurb
Advanced placement into a school of higher grade proof-reading is determined by the results of the Promotion Test strictly for class type. Ranging from A class with the best facilities anyone can offer all the way down to F Class which is composed of low dining tables, rotten tatami mats and other worn out facilities. Students can change classes by competing using the Examination Summons Battle system or ESB. Students summon characters with their equivalent test mark scores and use them to compete with other classes.
My Thoughts
This series has proved very popular, and I will admit, the first season was a work of genius, with such a simple concept and taking it further, from having epic battles in the school to determine what class they are in, to inventing a whole new third gender. I think I can safely say that there will most probably be a simulcast of this by Funimation, as they did with the first season eventually, and then most probably get a DVD release following the release of the first season in America. No word on Australian releases yet.
My Rating
HIGH
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My Thoughts
I haven’t seen much on this series as of yet, it is going to be an adaptation of the XBox360 idol-managing game that was never released in English, and due to there being a region lock, very few outside of Japan would have had the chance to play. As I havent the faintest idea of what this series is about, I cant say I am interested, nor am I expecting it to be released as a simulcast.
My Rating
LOW
The Blurb
Koyama Yuzu is running an antique shop. Mayu, a cat god (nekogami), is living off Yuzu and leads an idle life playing games. Lots of other gods visit Mayu and enjoy merrymaking.
My Thoughts
From what I can tell, a normal slice-of-life comedy surrounding people with cat ears. I would not object to watching it, but it doesn’t appear to be anything special.
My Rating
MEDIUM
