2013 Spring Anime Season Preview Picks

Reevo’s Picks

I’m here to pick the shows I’m looking forward to; this spring season looks like a strong one and it’s not hard for me to pick five:

Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet

One Reason – Gen Urobuchi,

I mean, this writer came into the anime scene, out of nowhere and has been a part of Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero and Psycho-Pass these past two years, all three I consider to be fantastic shows.

Again he returns to write the script on a new original anime called Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet alongside director Kazuya Murata and studio Production I.G.

The PV looks impressive, some impressive animation and some lovely tracks, it’s the show I’m mainly looking forward to.

Attack On Titan

Probably one of the most hyped of the line-up, Studio Wit Studio & Production I.G join up to adapt this popular manga.

The PV is impressive and has a strong line-up; my only worry is that director Tetsuro Araki’s last work was Guilty Crown, which wasn’t well received at all. However, Guilty Crown was an original anime, and I’m sure that if they can work close to the source material, it will turn out to be a fantastic show.

I worry but for people who love epic, shounen anime, then you shouldn’t miss this.

The Flowers of Evil

I have no idea what this show is. I know it’s a manga adaption (The manga has been released here in English) however I haven’t heard many people talk about it but the people I have seen talking about it, say that this is really good.

Sometimes I need to go into a show blind to really get excited for what’s to come. Future Diary (which I didn’t read beforehand) turned out to be a rollercoaster of a series; it was great.

Oh yeah, and the director is Hiroshi Nagahama (Detroit Metal City, Mushishi), I’m sold on it!

A Certain Scientific Railgun S2

It’s a huge shame that the first anime season of Railgun isn’t available anywhere to stream because the first season of Railgun was very good, still, for the people who have read the manga, you should know what to expect with this season.

While I’ve not been too fond of J.C.Staff works in the past, Waiting In The Summer and Joshiraku have proven that last year the studio could pump some great anime out. Again Tatsuyuki Nagai (Toradora, Honey & Clover) returns as director which should mean this second season is in safe hands.

Demon Lord at Work!

For my final pick, I think it would be best to choose a wild card for a show that looks average but could be really great; with that in mind, I have no problem picking this.

Watching the PV shows that it’s well animated compared to your usual average animated anime; studio White Fox (Steins;Gate, Jormungand) are behind this, so that is another reason.

The director Naoto Hosoda also made Future Diary, which is another plus and the synopsis is interesting enough. I really hope this show turns out great.

Genki’s Picks

After the drought of good shows in the winter season we get a major splash of awesome sounding titles. This is my selection from what I have seen when writing the Spring Preview.

Attack On Titan

The images, the PV, the manga… It just makes me grin at the prospect of an action-packed and tough anime that will get the blood flowing.

After getting seasons packed with slice-of-life titles and school comedies we get something totally different!

The staff behind it persuades me that they can make this really exciting because the director is Tetsuro Araki (Death Note, High School of the Dead). There are two anime production houses, Studio Wit Studio & Production I.G, that have joined forces to adapt Hajime Isayama’s award-winning and popular manga (which is available in the west).

Devil Survivor 2

This is the year when Atlus takes the UK by storm what with the forthcoming release of possibly two Devil Survivor games in the US and the belated release of Persona 4 Arena. I am getting these games but does that justify watching the anime?

Going on the quality of the staff alone, I’d say yes. The director is Seiji Kishi and he should be familiar to UK anime fans from his work on Persona 4 The Animation, an enjoyable adaptation of a great game. The other major name is Makoto Uezu who wrote for the anime Humanity Has Declined. Devil Survivor has a totally different feel but that doesn’t mean the quality will suffer.

Demon Lord at Work!

Ha! I love the concept! Ha! I love the PV! Ha! This is going to be my comedy. I agree with Reevo’s praise of the animation and I want to highlight the seiyuu: Yoko Hikasa, Ryota Ohsaka. Hikasa alone is magnificent!

Red Data Girl

This is an adaptation of Noriko Ogiwara’s supernatural tale which draws on Shinto mythology. I have to watch at least one supernatural anime per season and this is my selection.

The PV is rather sedate compared to the previous ones for my picks but it is animated by P.A. Works who were the studio behind Another, a series I watched last year and loved. That too had a rather slow and deliberate pace but was very creepy and intelligent which is what I expect this to be.

The seiyuu and staff are another highlight. Michiko Yokote, the person in charge of series composition, has written for a number of shows that I like, the highlight being Mononoke. The voice actors are veterans who usually give strong performances like Rie Kugimiya and Jun Fukuyama.

My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I Expected

It is based on a manga I have not read all the way through but I like the concept which is like a reverse Haganai – the guy is the mean-spirited one in the club. Not really original in concept from what I have read but I like the voice of the protagonist. I really liked Haganai at its cruellest and if this show can capture it then I will be satisfied.