Summer Anime Preview 2012 H – K

Welcome to the second part of the Anime UK News Summer Anime Preview for 2012.

While the first part of our Summer Preview contained an interesting mix of ecchi, medieval fantasy, and Japanese classical poetry, in this part we see an even more diverse mix of anime. For anybody interested in historical series there are two, the first is set in ancient China while the other is a supernatural reverse harem show set in Japan circa the late 1800s. There is also the familiar genre of cute babbling girls making its presence felt while those with an interest in weird sexuality will be pleased to see body-swap and incest shows are present and correct. There is the return of a familiar franchise, and a super-cute show following the bureaucratic work of dealing with fairies. Take a look at the new anime about to hit Japanese television!

Hagure Yūsha no Estetica

Synopsis

Akatsuki Ousawa is the hero of the other world of Areizaado in an epic RPG tale. He has just defeated the Satan king and the story has come to an end. What now? Well there is an international organisation named BABEL which has set up an academy to protect people returning from other worlds who are known as “Returners” and they take Akatsuki under their control. Also returning from Areizaado is the Satan king’s daughter Myuu. Akatsuki confronts her and other “Returners”.

 
This TV anime adapts Tesuto Uesu’s light novel series which launched in 2010. Rion Kujo (Tokyo Underground, Witch Hunter Robin) is directing while Ryunosuke Kingetsu (Coyote Rag Time Show) deals with series composition. The studio animating is ARMS (Queen’s Blade Rebellion). Lantis (Another) is handling the music. Nobuhiko Okamoto (Io in Acchi Kocchi) voices Akatsuki Ousawa, Yōko Hikasa (Mio Akiyama in K-ON!) voices, Myuu Ousawa. Faylan (The Future Diary, CANAAN) is performing the opening theme song and Aki Misato (Princess Resurrection) is performing the end theme song.

Staff: Rion Kujo (Director), Ryunosuke Kingetsu (Series Composition), Tetsuto Uesu (Light Novel Creator), Hiroshi Tsukada (Character Design), Minoru Maeda (Art Director), Kayo Konishi, Yukio Kondoo (Music), Aki Misato (ED), Faylan (OP)

Voice Actors: Nobuhiko Okamoto (Akatsuki Ousawa), Yōko Hikasa (Myuu ōsawa), Kana Hanazawa (Kuzuha Kirimoto), Kana Ueda (Chikage Izumi), Marina Inoue (Haruka Nanase)

Studio: ARMS

Hakuouki Reimeiroku

Synopsis

Chizuru Yukimura is in Kyoto looking for her missing father when she witnesses a fight between the Shinsengumi and an Oni. After the battle, the Shinsengumi take Chizuru into custody and discover that she is the daughter of the doctor they are looking for, and so Chizuru ends up accompanying the Shinsengumi on their search.

The second josei series of this season is also based on a romance adventure game. The Bishie boys are voiced by the likes of Kouji Yusa (Vincent Law in Ergo Proxy), Shinichiro Miki (Yusuke Ono in Antique Bakery). Maon Kurosaki (Highs, Hellsing Ultimate) provides the theme song.

 
Staff: Maon Kurosaki (Theme Song Performance)

Voice Actors:Shinichiro Miki (Toshizo Hijikata), Kouji Yusa (Sanosuke Harada), Tomohiro Tsuboi (Shinpachi Nagakura), Seki Tomokazu (Ryuunosuke Ibuki)

Studio: Studio Deen

 
Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere

Synopsis

The story is set in a future version of Japan which is divided into four territories, each administered by a different country as well as a floating city named Musashi, composed of eight ships in the sky. A war that will determine the fate of the world will be fought on the Musashi.

Based on a light novel written series by Minoru Kawakami, this is the second season and it sees the return of staff such as director Manabu Ono and voice actors like Jun Fukuyama, Minori Chihara and Kei Shindou.

Staff: Manabu Ono (Director), Tomoyuki Fujii (Chief Animation Director), Kanta Suzuki, Shinya Nishizawa, Tomoyuki Fujii, Yukiko Aikei (Character Design), Minoru Kawakami (Original Creator), Satoyasu (Original Character Design)

Voice Actors: Jun Fukuyama (Tori Aoi), Minori Chihara (Horizon Ariadust), Kei Shindou (Naomasa), Daisuke Ono (Hassan Fullbush), Ai Matayoshi (Miriam Polk)

Studio: Sunrise

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita

Synopsis

Seven centuries have passed since mankind entered into decline and a new creature has started to dominate – “fairies”. These 10 centimetre-tall creatures need to be dealt with and the human protagonist of the story is working for the UN as an arbitrator between fairies and humans. She returns to her hometown of Kusunoki where her grandfather still lives because she thinks it will be an easy job but the fairies might have other ideas.

Mai Nakahara (Rinda in Guin Saga) voices the protagonist while the grandfather is voiced by Unshou Ishizuka. Directing is handled by Seiji Kishi (Angel Beats, Persona 4: The Animation) while series composition is handled by Makoto Uezu (Space Brothers, My Bride is a Mermaid).

Staff: Seiji Kishi (Director), Makoto Uezu (Series Composition), Kou Outani (Music), Kyuuta Sakai (Character Design/Animation Director), Romeo Tanaka (Original Creator)

Voice Actors: Mai Nakahara (Watashi), Unshou Ishizuka (Grandfather)

Studio: AIC

 
Joshiraku

 
Synopsis

Joshiraku focuses on a group of girls who are Japanese verbal show performers as they discuss random things and find that their conversations take them to unusual places far from their starting point.

Tsutomu Mizushima (Another) is directing this adaptation of Kouji Kumeta’s (Sayonara, Zetsubou Sensei) and Yasu’s (Toradora!) story. Scripts come from Michiko Yokote (Genshiken, Jungle wa Itsumo Hare nochi Guu) and character design is overseen by Masayoshi Tanaka (Toradora!). Amongst the seiyuu involved are Saori Gotou (Moeka in Steins;Gate, Karen in Sky Girls) and Ayane Sakura (Yozora in Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai).

Staff: Tsutomu Mizushima (Director) Michiko Yokote (Script/Series Composition), Masayoshi Tanaka (Character Design), Kouji Kumeta, Yasu (Original Creators)

Voice Actors: Nozomi Yamamoto (Tetora Bouhatei), Saori Gotou (Kukuru Anrakutei), Marii Buratei (Ayane Sakura), Kotori Koiwa (Kigurumi Haroukitei)

Studio: J.C. Staff

 
Kingdom

Synopsis

Shin and Hyou are war-orphans in the Chinese kingdom of Qin during the Warring States Period. The two dream of rising to power through combat but Hyou finds himself diverted into palace intrigue which sees him almost dead while Shin begins his ascent to the title of emperor.

Adapting this Chinese historical epic story is director Jun Kamiya (Third: The Girl with the Blue Eye, Ys) with series composition being handled by Naruhisa Arakawa (The Legend of Black Heaven).

Staff: Jun Kamiya (Director), Naruhisa Arakawa (Series Composition), Yasuhisa Hara (Original Creator), Atsuo Tobe, Noriko Otake (Character Design), Junichi Higashi (Art Director)

Voice Actors: Jun Fukuyama (Ei Sei), Masakazu Morita (Ri Shin), Koji Yusa (Heki), Kouki Miyata (Seikyō), Yōko Hikasa (Kyō Kai), Rie Kugimiya (Karyō Ten)

Studio: Studio Pierrot

Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate

Synopsis

Yūki Ōjima is a student at Takafuji Private Academy and a member of the Food Research Club along with seven others, including his childhood friend Chisato Sumiyoshi. With student council election coming students are campaigning to get elected on various platforms. Front runner Satsuki Shinonome wants to axe clubs that have no merit which means that the Food Research Club is in danger. On the advice of current student council president Yakumo Mōri, Yūki runs in the election as an opposing candidate and learns more about the school and its students.

This is an adaptation of a romance visual novel and is directed by Tooru Kitahata (Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai) with Katsuhiko Takayama (Future Diary) overseeing series composition and Elements Garden (Uta no Prince-sama) providing music. Yūki is voiced by Yūichi Nakamura (Gray Fullbuster in Fairy Tail), Satsuki is voiced by Yuu Asakawa (Sakaki in Azumanga Daioh).

Staff: Tooru Kitahata (Director), Katsuhiko Takayama (Script/Series Composition), Elements Garden (Music), Hiroaki Gohda (Character Design)

Voice Actors: Yūichi Nakamura (Yūki Ōjima), Eriko Nakamura (Chisato Sumiyoshi), Asami Imai (Michiru Morishita), Mai Kadowai (Isara Aomi), Yuu Asakawa (Satsuki Shinonome), Kaori Mizuhashi (Mifuyu Kiba)

Studio: AIC

Kokoro Connect

Synopsis

Yamahoshi Academy’s Culture Club is undergoing a strange phenomenon as the five members of the club – two male and three female – switch bodies with each other.

Major seiyuu talent is involved with Miyuki Sawashiro (Canaan in Canaan, Kyrie in Crystal Blaze) and Aki Toyosaki (Nako in Hanasaku Iroha) featuring. The anime adaptation of Anda Sadanatsu’s light novel series is directed by Shin Oonuma (Dusk Maiden of Amnesia) with scripts orchestrated by Fumihiko Shimo (Clannad). Character design is handled by Toshifumi Akai (Sound of the Sky).

Staff: Shin Oonuma (Director), Shinya Kawamo (Assistant Director), Fumihiko Shimo (Scripts), Toshifumi Akai (Character Design), Anda Sadanatsu (Original Creator)

Voice Actors: Aki Toyosaki (Iori Nagase), Takuma Terashima (Yoshifumi Aoki), Miyuki Sawashiro (Himeko Inaba), Hisako Kanemoto (Yui Kiriyama), Shizuka Itou (Maiko Fujishima)

Studio: Silver Link

Kono Naka ni Hitori, Imouto ga Iru!
 

Synopsis

Shogo Mikadono is the son of a wealthy industrialist. Following his late father’s wishes he is transferred to a school where girls outnumber boys and sets about finding a suitable girlfriend at the school so he can inherit his family legacy. Rather amusingly he also finds out that he has a younger sister who was separated from him at birth and she is also attending the school. The trouble is he has no idea which student she could be…

This anime is based on Hajime Taguchi’s light novel series of the same name. Directing this is Munenori Nawa, a man who knows incest well since he has worked on Kiss X Sis. Kenichiro Katsura (Macross 7) acting as chief animation director while Go Zappa (Chocotto Sister) is handling the series scripts.

Staff: Munenori Nawa (Director), Kenichiro Katsura (Chief Animation Director, Character Design), Hajime Taguchi (Original Creator), CUTEG (Original Character Design), Hajime Taguchi (Original Creator), Go Zappa (Script writer)

Voice Actors: Takahiro Sakurai (Shogo), Kaori Ishihara (Konoe Tsuruma), Ayane Sakura (Miyabi Kannagi), Ayana Taketatsu (Rinka Kunitachi), Asuka Ogame (Mana Tendo), Rina Hidaka (Mei Sagara)

Studio: Studio Gokumi