Anime UK News Spring 2014 Preview Part Three

Here are the remainder of the shows for the season. I have skipped a few sequels like the Love Live project and CardFight Vanguard but I could not ignore Mushishi, probably one of the most anticipated titles from this season and a return to more mature storytelling. Like many of the other season previews, there are lots of light novel adaptations and shows aimed at NEETs and hikikomori. You can view the first part here and the second part here. I was able to get this entire thing together thanks to a season guide, Anime News Network and MyAnimeList.

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Synopsis

Nika is a princess of the Rain Dukedom and she has a mysterious power: she can control the rain! After losing a game of rock, paper, scissors to her older sisters, she is forced to marry the king of the Sun kingdom, Livius I, ruler of the world. He is known as the “Dreadful King.” Nike finds that he is a young boy and he soon lives up to his reputation because he throws her in jail! And yet there is an emotional bond between them…

The English title is “Even So, the World is Beautiful” and it revolves around a woman marrying a child. Okay. It is directed by Hajime Kamegaki (Air Gear).

Staff: Hajme Kamegaki (Director), Ichiro Uno (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Ai Kayano (Nia), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Livius I), Rena Maeda (Nike Remercier), Daisuke Namikawa (Lani Aristes), Issei Futamata (Katesby), Chisa Yokoyama (Narrator),

Studio: Pierrot

Website

No Game, No Life

Synopsis

Sora and Shiro are siblings who are NEET hikikomori gaming legends who rule the virtual world and consider the real world as a “crappy game.” One day, a boy named “God” transports them to an alternate world where all important matters are settled by games and humanity is losing badly to other races. Can Sora and Shiro and their gaming skills tip the balance in favour of humanity?

Log Horizon and Sword Art Online are joined by a new challenger! Madhouse are animating a light novel and bringing a heavyweight to the table to create a decent story in the form of Jukki Hanada (Steins;Gate) handling the series composition. The director is Atsuko Ishizuka (Moryo no Hako, Monster) and the character designs come from Koji Odate (Denno Coil, Chihayafuru).

Staff: Atsuko Ishizuka (Director), Jukki Hanada (Series Composition), Yuu Kamiya (Original Creator), Koji Odate (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Ai Kayano (Shiro), Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Sora), Rie Kugimiya (Teto), Yoko Hikasa (Stephanie Dora), Yuka Iguchi (Clammy Zell), Miyuki Sawashiro (Izuna Hatsuse), Mugihito (Ino Hatsuse)

Studio: Madhouse Studio

Website

Mushishi Zoku Shou

The sequel to Mushishi is almost here! The fact that a sequel was going to be made was an unexpected event since the last TV series was made in 2005. The anime will continue to adapt Yuki Urushibara’s manga and track Ginko as he investigates the mythological and spiritual side of Japan.

Staff: Hiroshi Nagahama (Director/Series Script Supervisor), Yuki Urushibara (Original Creator), Yoshihiko Umakoshi (Character Design/Chief Animation Director),

Voice Actors: Yuto Nakano (Ginko), Mika Doi (Narrator),

Studio: Artland

Website

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Synopsis

In a world where magic is as real as technology and supernatural powers have become a systematised tool and skill, there are high schools and universities that help nurture the next generations of “Magic Technicians” and “Supernatural Powers Users”. We follow two siblings: older brother Tatsuya is a low achiever and considered defective while Miyuki is a perfect high achiever. Both experience life in Magic High School.

Writer Tsutomu Satou and illustrator Kana Ishida are getting their light novel adapted by Madhouse; the series began life in 2011 and there are currently 12 volumes on sale. The director is Manabu Ono (Saki Episode of Side A) and seiyuu are Yuichi Nakamura (Tomoki Kuroki in WATAMOTE) who voices Tatsuya Shiba and Saori Hayami (Saki Morimi in Eden of the East) who voices Miyuki Shiba.

Staff: Manabu Ono (Director), Tsutomu Satou (Original Creator), Kana Ishida (Original Creator/Character Design), Rie Ota (Art Director)

Voice Actors: Saori Hayami (Miyuki Shiba), Yuichi Nakamura (Tatsuya Shiba), Atsushi Tamaru (Mikihiko Yoshida), Ayumu Murase (Shinkuro Kichoji),

Studio: Madhouse Studios

Website

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Synopsis

Kokoa heads to a café known as the Rabbit House where she can visit the rabbits and turns into a regular. She meets other girls there like Chino, a cool and rather short girl, Lize, a soldier-esque girl, and Chiyo, a spacey Japanese girl.

White Fox are the team behind Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? (Is the Order a White Rabbit?), a comedy where the characters are puns of drinks. It’s based on a straight comedy four-panel manga that is reminiscent of something cutesy like Hidamari Sketch. The director is Hiroyuki Hashimoto (The Devil is a Part-Timer!) and Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Walkure Romanze) is overseeing series composition.

Staff: Hiroyuki Hashimoto (Director), Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Series Composition), Koi (Original Creator), Yousuke Okuda (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Ayane Sakura (Kokoa), Inori Minase (Chino), Maaya Uchida (Sharo), Risa Taneda (Rize), Satomi Satou (Chiyo), Rie Murakawa (Meg), Saori Hayami (Blue Mountain Aoyama), Sho Hayami (Chino’s Dad), Sora Tokui (Maya)

Studio: White Fox

Website

Captain Earth

Synopsis

High school student Daiji Manatsu sees a strange rainbow floating in the sky above Seed Island and heads there. He connects the sight of the rainbow with his father’s death and his encounter with a mysterious boy and girl. When he arrives on the island he gets caught up in a battle between humanity and alien invaders and finds himself thrust into a war; as it turns out he can pilot a giant robot named “Earth Engine”…

Takuya Igarashi and Yoji Enokido are the go-to guys for mecha and tech anime with Eureka Seven, Star Driver and RahXephon between them. They’ve also worked on Ouran High School Host Club and Sailor Moon Super S but we’re more concerned with mecha and robots and whatnot and the trailer shows that the anime will provide it.

Staff: Takuya Igarashi (Director), Yoji Enokido (Series Composition), Fumi Minato (Original Character Design), Satoshi Ishino (Character Design/Chief Animation Director),

Voice Actors: Ai Kayano (Hana Muto), Maaya Sakamoto (Moko), Rina Hidaka (Akari Yamatsu), Kenichi Suzumura (Amara), Hiroshi Kamiya (Teppei Arashi), Rikiya Koyama (Tsutomu Nishikubo),

Studio: BONES

Website

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou

Synopsis

Since his parents’ job transfer, Usa Kazunari lives alone at the Kawai-Sou apartment complex, a place filled with perverts and gorgeous girls like Ritsu Kawai.

This anime’s English title is The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior and is based on a manga by Ruri Miyahara. It is directed by Shigeyuki Miya (Blood Lad) and scripts come from Takeshi Konuta (Library Wars).

Staff: Shigeyuki Miya (Director), Ruri Miyahara (Original Creator), Takeshi Konuta (Script/Series Composition), Junko Yamanaka, Maki Kawano, Shinichi Kurita (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Yuichi Iguchi (Usa Kazunari), Kana Hanazawa (Ritsu Kawai), Hisako Kanemoto (Ayaka Watanabe), Sanae Kobayashi (Sumko), Rina Satou (Mayumi Nishikino),

Studio: Brains Base

Website

Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun

Synopsis

We are in an alternate world and it is the Edo period. When Admiral Perry and the Black Ships appeared, an ancient robot called Onigami repelled them and then expelled all foreigners from Japan. The story takes place in a Japan that has not westernised and remains in isolation thanks to the power of its giant robots…

This is another of those rare things, an original idea. It also looks like a right-wing otaku’s dream. Shinzo Abe would approve… if he watched anime. This also looks very fanservicey as well as being full of mecha, It is directed by Takashi Watanabe (Slayers) and scripts come from Dai Sato (Eureka Seven).

Staff: Takashi Watanabe (Director), Dai Sato (Series Composition), Hiroya Iijima (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Tetsuya Kakihara (Keiichiro Tokugawa), Ayako Kawasumi (Kiriko Hitoribe), Miyuki Sawashiro (Hokoin),

Studio: J.C. Staff, A.C.G.T

Website

Futsuu no Joshikousei ga Yattemita

Synopsis

Nanako is a high school girl and she, along with an airheaded girl named Yukari, become idols of their provincial area and they find themselves becoming local hits working on the small scale (cable TV, concerts in department stores) which is good because they get paid from the town’s taxes.

Idol anime is a current trend and there are a couple of titles this season but they are from a more fantastical angle. Futsuu no Joshikousei ga Yattemita (Normal High School Girls Tried Being Local Idols) skews more towards realism like Wake Up Girls! It is based on a four-panel manga and directed by Munenori Nawa who has directed Kiss X Sis and R-15 which aren’t exactly the classiest of titles but scripts do comes from Yuniko Ayano (Bakuman, Kiniro Mosaic, Natsuiro Kiseki).

Staff: Munenori Nawa (Director), Yuniko Ayana (Series Composition), Yumi Shimizu (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Sachiko Misawa (Yukari Kohinata), Miku Itou (Nanako Usami),

Studio: Feel

Website

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

Synopsis

Suzu Nekoyama is a shy tsundere girl who loves dogs. She meets Yachiyo Inugami, a friendly masochistic airhead who loves cats. The two immediately feel a connection to each other even if they drive each other crazy.

If you think that the premise is too slim to support a two-cours series with 24 minutes episodes, you wouldn’t be alone since the staff behind this have been reduced to making five minute shorts.It is the new Sakura Trick and it’s directed by Shinpei Nagai (episode director on Psycho-Pass).

Shinpei Nagai

Staff: Shinpei Nagai (Director), Takehiro Miura (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Nao Toyama (Suzu Nekoyama), Sumire Uesaka (Yachiyo Inugami), Yuka Otsubo (Aki Hiiragi), Erii Yamazaki (Hibari Torikai), Hitomi Harada (Tamaki Nekoyama), Shoko Nagahiro (Sora Sarutobi)

Studio: Seven

Website

FAIRY TAIL New Series

The hugely popular FAIRY TAIL makes a return and the trailer should assure fans that the quality will remain high with this one. Cast and staff return to their roles apart from the character designer who is replaced by Shinji Takeuchi. The studio has also changed because Bridge and A-1 Pictures have replaced Satelight.

Staff: Shinji Ishihara (Director), Masashi Sogo (Series Composition), Shinji Takeuchi (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Tetsuya Kakihara (Natsu), Aya Hirano (Lucy), Rie Kugimiya (Happy), Sayaka Ohara (Erza), Yuichi Nakamura (Gray),

Studio: A-1 Pictures / Bridge

Website

Mahou Shoujo Taisen

Local towns in Japan are frequently turning to cute girls to create mascots for themselves. This show takes up this trend by bringing a bunch of mahou shoujo from an iOS and browser game. They were created by Pixiv artists to create new mascots for forty-seven prefectures and seiyuu from the very same prefecture play some of the characters.

Staff: Ayano Ohnoki (Director), Kazuho Hyodo (Screenplay), Mariko Kawamoto (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Rie Murakawa (Rin Kobari), Arisa Nishiguchi (Oage-san), Miho Arakawa (Naruko Aoba), Mitsuo Iwata (Toro),

Studio: Gainax

Website

Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara

Synopsis

High school boy Sota Hatate can see “flags” that reveal future events like a “death flag,” “friendship flag,” and “romance flag.” Despite this skill, he avoids making friends (probably because his own flag says he will die) due to a traumatic incident but some beautiful girls will shake his world when they move into his school dorm and try and change his fate…

Another harem show where a bland guy gets stuck with lots of beautiful girls and comedy ensues. Ayumu Watanabe (Space Brothers) is directing this and character designs come from Shizue Kaneko (Mysterious Girlfriend X).

Staff: Ayumu Watanabe (Director), Takashi Aoshima (Series Composition), Shizue Kaneko (Character Design),

Voice Actors: Ryota Ohsaka (Sota Hatate), Ai Kayano (Akane Mahogasawa), Kana Hanazawa (Megumi Tozokuyama), Yoko Hikasa (Rin Eiyyuzaki),

Studio: Hoods Entertainment

Website

Kenzen Robo Daimidaler

Synopsis

Earth is under attack from the Penguin Empire. High school boy Kouichi Madanbashi has an abundance of Hi-Ero particles that allow him to pilot the robotic weapon Daimidaler. Kyouko Sonan, a representative from the mysterious Prince Beauty Parlor organisation recruits him to defend humanity.

The mecha is strong this season and this looks to be the funniest while the others are more traditional. Alas, the comedy comes from the main character getting energy from groping girls. The staff have worked on the likes of High School DxD. The director, Tetsuya Yanagisawa, has helmed Heaven’s Lost Property the Movie and the writer, Takao Yoshioka has written for Ikki Tousen.

Staff: Tetsuya Yanagisawa (Director), Takao Yoshioka (Series Composition), Asaki Nakama (Original Creator), Junji Goto (Character Design/Chief Animation Director),

Voice Actors: Nobunaga Shimazaki (Kouichi Madanbashi), Yoko Hikasa (Kyouko Sonan), Jun Fukishima (Nelson), Natsuki Hanae (Shoma Amaku),

Studio: TNK

Website

AND THAT’S IT FOR ANOTHER THREE MONTHS.