Anime UK News Summer 2015 Anime Preview Part Two
The Summer 2015 anime season is less than a week away and Anime UK News has collected a selection of highlights in TV anime to help you to get a better idea of what you may want to watch.
Spring 2015 turned out to be really great with top titles like Kekkai Sensen, Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Come Wa Machigatteiru. Zoku, Ore Monogatari!!, and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders each providing quality entertainment, mixing big action (physical and emotional) and comedy with inventive visuals. Other titles like the sports anime provided solid entertainment and Punchline surprised nobody with an open mind and a brain when it became a story that went beyond its early panty focus and became a somewhat charming madcap comedy with some drama. Although not brilliant it showed that there was a lot of life left in original anime ideas. Plaudits have to go to Kekkai Sensen especially with Rie Matsumoto cementing her name as one to watch in terms of anime directors what with her hyperactive and densely-packed visual style.
Summer doesn’t quite have as many interesting titles. Indeed, there doesn’t seem to be as many shows as previous seasons and many of them are adaptations of classic tales, sequels to recent anime titles and it’s a mixed-bag of fantasy action shows with one or two seinen titles thrown in. Early highlights are Prison School, Ushio to Tora, and Gangsta. which are three totally different shows but each with the potential to push the envelope in terms of humour and violence.
One trend that is fizzling out is the otome game/yaoi adaptations full of pretty boys vying for the viewer’s attention although BL fans do get some service. There are fewer mecha and sci-fi shows this season but plenty of fantasy action and more original ideas/untapped light novels and manga which are due for an anime adaptation.
There is a lot on offer and so this guide will be split into two and shows will be listed in alphabetical order. Thanks to Anime News Network and My Anime List, Crunchyroll, and Neregate I have been able to compile a lot of the major titles that will launch on TV in Japan next month:
Part Two
Makura no Danshi (Pillow Boys)
Synopsis
Reader… is everyday life getting you down? Stress at the office? Want to relax with a beautiful boy? With this show you can pick one of twelve “Makura no Danshi” (pillow boys). They all have distinctly individual personalities and each catering to viewers who like a certain “type.” Twelve guys, twelve episodes, twelve nights of healing.
Not so long back, after publishing the last ignored season preview, I had a brief conversation with the ladies who help run AUKN and they commented about the lack of shows aimed at women/people who like cute guys in the last season and it looks like the drought is set to continue but this one, Pillow Boys, has turned up and while it looks like fluff it tackles it in a novel way by allowing viewers to ogle a beautiful “Makura no Danshi” from a first-person perspective to “heal tired hearts” as they “sleep beside you and whisper.”
Scripts come from experts in deconstructing girl’s fantasies and possibly crafting the ultimate boy: Ayumi Sekine (Orenchi no Furo Jijo, Say “I love you.”) And Yuniko Ayana (Watamote).
Staff: Ayumi Sekine, Yuniko Ayana (Series Composition), Mika Yamamoto (Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Nasuki Hanae (Merry), Ayumu Murase, Daisuke Namikawa, Sora Takahata, Yoshimasa Hosoya
Studio: Assez Finaud Fabric, feel.
Airing Date: July, 2015
Million Doll
Synopsis
Suuko is a hikikomori who is such an influential blogger she can boost the career of any idol. Her latest target is the Fukuoka idol Itorio but her task is not easy because there are rival idols!
Idols are big in Japan and so getting a web manga about an idol otaku made into an anime isn’t that wild a concept. This series is going to be made up of short episodes around five minutes each.
Staff: Keiichirou Kawaguchi (Director), Momoko Murakami (Series Composition), Ai (Original Creator)
Voice Actors: Aina Kusuda (Suuko), Miku Itou (Mariko), Yui Watanabe (Momona), Mayu Iizuka (Rina)
Studio: Asahi Production
Airing Date: July, 2015
Miss Monochrome -The Animation- 2
Synopsis
Miss Monochrome and her colleagues are back so see her adventures to get closer to KIKUKO, the “17-years-old forever” super-idol and Miss Monochrome’s role model.
Miss Monochrome is a character created and played by voice actress Yui Horie and is the face of all sorts of video games and character goods. This is the second season and it is part of the “Ultra Super Anime Time” 30-minute anime which features Wooser no Sono Higurashi Mugen-hen and Wakaba Girl. It is directed by Yoshikai Iwasaki, the man responsible for the first season. He has also directed episodes of Love Hina and Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky.
Staff: Yoshiaki Iwasaki (Director), Kazuyuki Fudeyasu (Series Composition), Yui Horie (Original Character Designer), Yuuki Morimoto (Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Yui Horie (Miss Monochrome), Akemi Kanda (Mana), Keiji Fujiwara (Maneo), Kikuko Inoue (KIKUKO)
Studio: Liden Films, Sanzigen Animation Studio
Airing Date: July 03rd, 2015
My Monster Secret (Jitsu wa Watashi wa)….
Synopsis
Asahi Kuromine is a guy who cannot tell a lie and he has a huge crush on a cute girl named Yoko Shiragami. She has a secret… she is a vampire. Asahi wants to keep this fact a secret but will he be able to?
Vampire romances aren’t uncommon but this could be a solid title. It’s based on Matsuda Eiji’s manga which is a comedic spin on human x vampire love and is directed by Yasutaka Yamamoto who has worked as an episode director on Blood-C, Blue Exorcist, and Servant X Service. The scripts are written by by Kenichi Yamashita’s (writer on different series of Precure and Yumeiro Patissiere). Hirotaka Marufuji (Nobunaga The Fool, Macross F) is designing the characters. Akito Matsuda (No-Rin, Sound! Euphonium, Dog & Scissors) is composing the music for the series.
Staff: Yamamoto, Yasutaka (Director), Marufuji, Hirotaka (Character Design), Yamashita, Kenichi (Series Composition), Eiji Matsuda (Original Creator), Akito Matsuda (Music)
Voice Actors: Natsuki Hanae (Asahi Kuromine), Yuu Serizawa (Yoko Shiragami), Inori Minase (Nagisa Aizawa), Reina Ueda (Mikan Akemi), Mao Ichimichi (Akane Koumoto)
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Airing Date: July 06th, 2015
Non Non Biyori Repeat
Synopsis
When fifth-grade schoolgirl Hotaru Ichijou transfers from Tokyo to a school in the countryside where the pace of life is considerably slower, she finds that there is a lot of adjusting to do. There are only four other students at the school, the nearest bookstore is twenty minutes away by bicycle and the nearest video rental store is ten stations away! Fortunately her fellow schoolmates Renge, Natsumi, Komari and her older brother Suguru, are cool in their own ways.
This is the second season of a slice-of-life comedy that takes place in the countryside so expect lots of gentle humour and culture clash jokes. There is a lot of female talent on the writing like Reiko Yoshida and Yuka Yamada (Mushishi) joining Fumihiko Shimo (Clannad). The director is Shinya Kawamo who was involved in Kokoro Connect.
Staff: Shinya Kawatsura (Director), Reiko Yoshida (Series Composition/Scripts), Fumihiko Shimo, Yuka Yamada (Scripts), Hiromi Mizutani (Music), Mai Otsuka (Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Rie Murakawa (Hotaru Ichijou), Ayane Sakura (Natsumi Koshigaya), Kana Asumi (Komari Koshigaya), Kotori Koiwai (Renge Miauchi)
Studio: Silver Link
Airing Date: July 07th, 2015
Okusama ga Seito Kaichou! (My Wife Is the Student Council President!)
Synopsis
Izumi Hayato is running to be student body president but his campaign is thwarted when a beautiful girl named Ui enters the race promising the liberalisation of love while flinging condoms into the audience. That act secures her victory and Izumi ends up losing to her and becoming the vice president. Ui rocks Izumi’s world in another way as she announces she is to become Izumi’s wife thanks to an agreement—facilitated by alcohol—made between their parents when they were only three-years old.
This one is a short animation based on a girl who advocates free love so expect cliché and ecchi in small doses. Hiroyuki Furukawa, animation director on Pocket Monsters XY, Gonna be the Twin-Tail! will debut as a director with this anime, and he is also serving as the character designer. Studio Seven (Strange+, I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying) are animating the series.
Staff: Hiroyuki Furukawa (Director/Character Designer), Yumi Nakata (Original Creator)
Voice Actors: Ayana Taketatsu (Ui Wakana), Kazuyuki Okitsu (Hayato Izumi), Aoi Fujimoto (Ayane Niikura), Juri Nagatsuma (Sawatari), Minami Tsuda (Rin Misumi), Tomoko Kaneda (Misato Wakana), Yoshie Sugiyama (Karen Fujisaki)
Studio: Studio Seven
Airing Date: July, 2015
Overlord
Synopsis
In the year 2138, virtual reality gaming is booming. Yggdrasil, a popular online game is quietly shut down one day. However, one player named Momonga decides to not log out. Momonga is then transformed into the image of a skeleton as “the most powerful wizard.” The world continues to change, with non-player characters (NPCs) beginning to feel emotion. Having no parents, friends, or place in society, this ordinary young man Momonga then strives to take over the new world the game has become.
What do Log Horizon, No Game No Life, and Sword Art Online all have in common? They are all about characters who get trapped in the world of videogames or playing videogames to survive in some alternate world. It’s a concept that this anime plies. If the idea behind the anime doesn’t appeal then the studio doing the animation might… Madhouse who are fresh from a run of excellent shows like Death Parade, Parasyte: The Maxim, and Ore Monogatari!!. As boring as the story sounds, at the very least this will look good. The director is Naoyuki Itou (episode director on Chihayafuru) and the writer is Yukie Sugawara who worked on Nanana’s Buried Treasure and Sword Art Online.
Staff: Naoyuki Itou (Director), Yukie Sugawara (Series Composition/Script), Takahiro Yohimatsu (Character Designer), Shuuji Katayama (Music)
Voice Actors: Satoshi Hino (Momonga/Ainz Ooal Gown), Emiri Kato (Aura Bella Fiore), Hiroshi Shirokuma (Gazef Stronoff), Kenta Miyake (Cocytus), M.A.O (Enri Emmot)
Studio: Madhouse
Airing Date: July 07th, 2015
Prison School
Synopsis
On the outskirts of Tokyo is Hachimitsu Private Academy. It was once an elite all-girls’ boarding school but it has now been opened up to boys for the first time. You might think being a teenage boy amidst a sea of teenage girls is paradise but Kiyoshi Fujino and the four other boys who have enrolled at the school will find that for every heaven there is a hell. Those who break the rules in Hachimitsu get sent to the school prison which is more horrific than they could have imagined…
Akira Hiramoto’s Kodansha award-winning manga Prison School (Kangoku Gakuen) is one of the big titles of the summer with its mix of ecchi, larger than life characters with larger-than-life assets and plenty of black comedy. It looks like there’s a lot of parody and satire involved and audiences may not respond too well if they can’t get beyond the surface and miss the point of that type of comedy. There is massive potential for it to be offensive, but the names attached to this are not drama merchants by nature.
It is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima and the writing is orchestrated by Michiko Yokote. The two worked together regularly, and most recently on Shirobako the wonderful slice-of-life expose of the anime industry. A simple glance at the first volume of the manga shows that this series is considerably different, trashier and smuttier with lots of near the knuckle jokes about sex and violence. It will be interesting to see what Mizushima and Yokote will do with it.
Staff: Tsutomu Mizushima (Director), Michiko Yoote (Series Composition/Scripts), Junichiro Taniguchi (Character Designer), Kotaro Nakagawa (Music), Maki Morio (Art Designer)
Voice Actors: Hiroshi Kamiya (Kiyoshi), Kana Hanazawa (Hana), Daisuke Namikawa (Joe), Katsuyuki Konishi (Gakuto), Kazuyuki Okitsu (Andre), Kenichi Suzumura (Shingo), Sayaka Ohara (Mari), Shizuka Itou (Meiko)
Studio: J.C. Staff
Airing Date: July 10th, 2015
Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace
Synopsis
The story takes place at a certain middle school where several murder cases take place. Kobayashi, a boy who goes to this school, meets genius detective Akechi, who comes to the school to investigate. Kobayashi takes an interest in Akechi and, in spite of his friend Hashiba’s worries, he volunteers to be Akechi’s assistant.
This one is airing in the Noitamina time slot and there are a lot of positive aspects to it: it is an original series inspired by the works of the massively influential writer Edogawa Rampo, (this anime marks the 50th anniversary of his death) and it looks great. It has music by Masaru Yokoyama who did a fantastic job with Your Lie in April. Problems with this come from the writer/director team of Seiji Kishi and Makoto Uezu who have adapted lots of different games/novels into indifferent titles. Examples include Danganronpa and Devil Survivor 2, Arpeggio of Blue Steel and Persona 4. That’s too many indifferent anime to ignore.
Staff: Seiji Kishi (Director), Makoto Uezu (Series Composition/Scripts), Masaru Yokoyama (Music), Edogawa Rampo (Original Concept)
Voice Actors: Daiki Yamashita (Hashiba), Rie Takahashi (Kobayashi), Takahiro Sakurai (Akechi), Cho (Nakamura), Kappei Yamaguchi (Shitai-kun), Katsuyuki Konishi (Kagami), Saki Fujita (Minami), Takehito Koyasu (Kageo), Yoko Hikasa (Kuro Tokage)
Studio: Lerche
Airing Date: July 10th, 2015
Rokka no Yuusha (Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers)
Synopsis
When the Majin awoke from the depths of darkness, the deity of fate chose six heroes and bequeathed them the power to save the world. Adlet, a boy who proclaims himself the strongest on Earth, was selected among the Rokka no Yuusha (Braves of the Six Flowers), and he goes to the rendezvous point — but seven have gathered there. The heroes suspect that someone among the seven is the enemy, and the initial suspicion falls on Adlet.
This looks like a straight high fantasy title. It’s an adaptation of Ishio Yamagata’s fantasy light novel series and it has a nice-looking PV which has locales taken from what look like Central America. It is directed by Takeo Takahashi, director of the good anime Spice and Wolf and the rather boring MAOYU and it is written by Tatsuhiko Urahata (Monster, NANA). The character designs are by Sayaka Koiso (Rail Wars!) and the music is by Michiru Oshima (Patema Inverted).
Staff: Takeo Takahashi (Director), Tatsuhiko Urahata (Series Composition/Scripts), Sayaka Koiso (Character Designer), Michiru Oshima (Music), Ishio Yamagata (Original Creator), Miyagi (Original Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Aoi Yuuki (Flamie), Soma Saito (Adlet), Yoko Hikasa (Nachetanya), Ai Kakuma (Chamot), Kenichi Suzumura (Hans), Kouki Uchiyama (Goldov), Rina Satou (Maura)
Studio: Passione
Airing Date: July 04th, 2015
Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX: Believe in Justice and Hold a Determination to Fist.
Synopsis
After the frontier incident, everyone who knew the circumstances believed the Noise were gone and the pain they caused was at an end. But a new conflict approached unseen. In the Yokohama Harbor Oosan-bashi Pier, a new pattern is detected that is similar to the Noise. A combat group wielding mysterious technology stands in the way of Hibiki and the others. When she hears of this enemy of unprecedented strength, Tsubasa hurries back home from England. But the Symphogear users see no opening to counterattack are forced into a difficult fight. In this situation of extreme disparity, the battle for the song that will end the world begins.
Those of us who have watched Symphogear and survived the mind-numbing silliness are few in number but we preach the gospel of SYMPHOGEAR! There’s more singing and action and the best title this franchise has come up with to date! The staff and cast are back for this series which sees Katsumi Ono directing and Akifumi Kaneko scripting and Elements Garden once again providing the music again.
Staff: Katsumi Ono (Director), Akifumi Kaneko (Script, Original Creator, Series Composition), Noriyasu Agematsu (Music Producer, Original Creator), Dan Yoshii (Original Character Design), Satoru Fujimoto (Character Design), Elements Garden (Music)
Voice Actors: Ai Kayano (Kirika Akatsuki), Yoko Hikasa (Maria Cadenzavna Eve), Nana Mizuki (Tsubasa Kazanari), Aoi Yuuki (Hibiki Tachibana), Yuka Iguchi (Miku Kohinata), Asami Seto (Aoi Tomosato)
Studio: Satelight
Airing Date: July 04th, 2015
Shimoneta to Iu Gainen ga Sonzai Shinai Taikutsu na Sekai (A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist)
Synopsis
Japan has been changed greatly by the “Law for Public Order and Morals in Healthy Child-Raising” which has banned coarse language in the country and public morals schools have been set up. Tanukichi Okuma enrols in the best the nation has to offer but ends up being blackmailed into joining the Anti-Societal Organization (SOX) by its founder, Ayame Kajō. and taking part in obscene acts of terrorism against the talented student council president and his crush Anna.
With its huge unwieldy title, A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist is clearly derived from a light novel and it looks like pretty racy and daring stuff that will be up there with Prison School which appears to be the superior and more daring of the two.
Don’t set expectations too high (that PV probably warned you not to expect too much, anyway) but this looks solid entertainment for fans of ecchi/fan service if the staff and what little seen of the animation are anything to go by. The adaptation is directed by Youhei Suzuki a veteran of smutty shows and action series with titles like The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat and The Familiar of Zero in his filmography. The series scripts are written by Masahiro Yokotani (Free! Eternal Summer) and character designs come from Masahiro Fujii who is also familiar with smut and comedy as can be seen from his work in The Pet Girl of Sakurasou and The Familiar of Zero.
Staff: Youhei Suzuki (Director), Masahiro Yokotani (Series Composition), Masahiro Fujii (Character Designer), Hirotaka Akagi (Original Writer/Creator), Eight Shimotsuki (Original Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Shizuka Ishigami (Ayame Kajou), Yūsuke Kobayashi (Tanukichi Okuma), Kenta Miyake (Raiki Gouriki), Miyu Matsuki (Anna Ninomiya), Saori Goto (Hyouka Fuwa) Satomi Arai (Otome Saotome), Sumire Uesaka (Oboro Tsukimigusa), Yui Horie (Kosuri Onigashira), Yui Ogura (Binkan-chan)
Studio: J.C. Staff
Airing Date: July 04th, 2015
Sky Wizards Academy (Kuusen Madoushi Kouhosei no Kyoukan)
Synopsis
Humanity was driven off the land by the threat of magical armoured insects who kill people and remove the memories of those that have died from those that still live. Humanity now lives in aerial floating cities defended by sky wizards. Kanata Age is a young man who lives on the floating wizard academy city of “Misutogan.” He was once celebrated as the “Black Master Swordsman,” the elite ace of the S128 special team but now he is regarded as a traitor and assigned as the instructor of the vastly inferior team E601 which is comprised of strange wizards…
This is a light novel adaptation which looks like solid fantasy at best. The director is Takayuki Inagaki (Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse, Rosario + Vampire) and the series composition is handled by Hiroshi Yamaguchi (Rosario + Vampire, ToHeart2).
Staff: Takayuki Inagaki (Director), Hiroshi Yamaguchi (Series Composition), Osamu Horiuchi (Character Designer), Daisaku Kume (Music), Yuu Moroboshi (Original Creator)
Voice Actors: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Kanata Age), Iori Nomizu (Rico Flamel), Nao Touyama (Lecty Eisenbach), Nozomi Yamamoto (Misora Whitale), Rina Satou (Socie Whitale), Risa Taneda (Yuri Flostre)
Studio: Diomedea
Airing Date: July 08th, 2015
Sore ga Seiyuu! (That’s a Voice Actor!)
Synopsis
Futaba Ichinose, Ichigo Moesaki, and Rin Kohana are three newbie voice actresses (seiyuu) and we see their daily lives!
There’s always room for cute girls doing various things and just talking is one of them. Remember Joshiraku? Unlike Joshiraku, Sore ga Seiyuu! is less about the more obscure and totally Japanese Rakugo storytelling tradition and more about something we’re familiar with: anime voice acting!
It’s animated by Gonzo who are back in the spotlight after another absence! With a five minute anime…
The headline for this one is that Shirobako’s writer/series composition chief, Michiko Yokote, is on writing duties here so expect a similar tone. Interestingly, Yukari Hashimoto, the lady who provided the haunting melodies for Yuri Kuma Arashi, is composing the music here. I doubt we will get any kuma-shocks, it will probably be conventional. The director is Hiroshi Ikehata and he has experience directing episodes of a number of funny TV anime like Hayate the Combat Butler, Moyashimon and Robot Girls Z.
Staff: Hiroshi Ikehata (Director), Michiko Yokote (Series Composition), Masakatsu Sasaki (Character Designer), Kenjirou Hata Masumi Asano (Original Creator), Yukari Hashimoto (Music)
Voice Actors: Marika Kono (Rin Kohana), Rie Takahashi (Futaba Ichinose), Yuki Nagaku (Ichigo Moesaki), Ami Koshimizu (Shū-san), Ayane Sakura (Sayo-chan), Hitomi Nabatame (Hikari Shiodome), Kenta Miyake (Kaibara-san), Nozomi Furuki (Aoi Konno)
Studio: Gonzo
Airing Date: July 07th, 2015
Teekyu (Series 5)
Synopsis
Four girls are on a school tennis team. Do they play tennis? Not really.
This is the fifth series of a franchise which consists of short 3 minute episodes full of comedy based around tennis. The franchise anime first aired in 2012 and not much has changed in terms of staff and cast since then. It is still directed by Shin Itagaki (Devil May Cry, Ben-To), the director for the previous seasons but there is a new animation studio, Millepensee, rather than Mappa.
Staff: Shin Itagaki (Director, Episode Director, Script, Character Design), Piyo, Roots (Original Character Design/Creator)
Voice Actors: Kana Hanazawa (Marimo Bandou), Kyoko Narumi (Nasuno Takamiya), Suzuko Mimori (Kanae Shinjou ), Yui Watanabe (Yuri Oshimoto)
Studio:, Millepensee
Airing Date: April 06th, 2015
Ushio to Tora
Synopsis
While cleaning out his family’s Shinto temple, middle-school student Ushio Aotsuki stumbles upon a hidden cellar which houses a dangerous yokai. The yokai, pinned by a legendary weapon called the Beast Spear for 500 years, attracts many other supernatural creatures to the premises. Ushio is forced to free the creature – whom he names “Tora” – in return for his help in defeating them. Tora, who wishes to eat Ushio but is stalled by the Beast Spear, begins to haunt the boy in the hopes that an opportunity will present itself. However, Ushio’s possession of the Spear seems to result in trouble after trouble, and Tora finds himself an unwilling ally to Ushio in his battles against various supernatural foes. Meanwhile, a greater danger lurks in the form of Hakumen no Mono, an incredibly powerful yokai with a thirst for destruction who is about to awaken from an extended slumber.
Time for some old-school shounen action! Is this the Parasyte-like anime for 2015? Ushio to Tora was written by Kazuhiro Fujita back in the early ‘90s and it won the Shogakukan manga award for shounen manga in 1992 before being adapted into an anime a couple of times (multiple OVAs).
It has been twenty-some odd years since its launch and it has come out of left-field.
This update sees MAPPA, the team behind Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis, step up to adapt the manga into two series (one this year and one next). It’s a school fantasy anime and the staff looks good with the manga author Kazuhiro Fujita involved. The director is Satoshi Nishimura (Trigun)
Staff: Satoshi Nishimura (Director), Kazuhiro Fujita, Toshiki Inoue (Series Composition), Kazuhiro Fujita (Original Creator), Tomoko Mori (Character Designer, Chief Animation Director), Eishi Segawa (Music)
Voice Actors: Tasuku Hatanaka (Ushio Aotsuki), Rikiya Koyama (Tora), Ai Kayano (Omamori-sama), Aki Toyosaki (Yuu Hiyama), Daisuke Namikawa (Hyou), Kana Hanazawa (Jie Mei), Keiji Fujiwara (Shigure Aotsuki), Kiyono Yasuno (Mayuko Inoue), Maaya Sakamoto (Sumako Aotsuki), Mamoru Miyano (Giryou)
Studio: MAPPA, Studio VOLN,
Airing Date: July 03rd, 2015
Venus Project: Climax
Synopsis
Formula Venus or “F-V,” is a new craze sweeping Japan and taking advantage of the nation’s superior use of technology. People get to see the chosen top idols battle in live performances with their willpower, skills, and all their experience gained.
This is a multimedia franchise that encompasses a series that mixes six live-action and six anime television episodes and a video game and a webcomic. The anime is directed by Takehiro Nakayama (Magic Knight Rayearth) and the scripts come from Go Zappa (Idolm@ster Cinderella Girls).
Staff: Takehiro Nakayama (Director), Go Zappa (Script), Yoshinari Saito (Character Design)
Voice Actors: Marika Hayase (Miu Nureha), Riho Iida (Ruka Sovagasky) Sawako Hata (Eriko Hara), Ami Himesaki (Karen Takano)
Studio: Nomad
Airing Date: July 05th, 2015
Wagnaria!!!
Synopsis
High school kid Sota Takanashi works at a part-time at a restaurant with strange staff members. When he starts his job, he meets the small but elder Popura, the androphobic Mahiru, the cheerful Yachiyo, the stoic chef Sato, the gossip-loving cook Souma, and the lazy manager Kyoko.
A new series of Working means more exclamation marks in the title and a new director in the form of Yumi Kamakura who worked as assistant director on a range of Pokemon titles like, Pokemon: Giratina & The Sky Warrior and Pokemon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. will take over as director of the anime. The seiyuu are returning to reprise their roles and so is musician monaca (Aikatsu!, My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU). Shingo Adachi (Sword Art Online, Galilei Donna) is also returning to provide character designs.
Staff: Yumi Kamakura (Director), Takao Yoshioka (Series Composition), Karino Takatsu (Original Creator), Shingo Adachi (Character Designer, Chief Animation Director), Monaca (Music)
Voice Actors: Jun Fukuyama (Sota Takanashi), Kana Asumi (Popura Taneshima), Saki Fujita (Mahiru Inami), Akiko Kawase (Maya Matsumoto), Daisuke Ono (Jun Satou), Eri Kitamura (Yachiyo Todoroki), Haruka Tomatsu (Mitsuki Mashiba), Hiroshi Kamiya (Hiromi Soma), Jouji Nakata (Hyogo Otoo), Shizuka Itou (Kozue Takanashi), Yoko Hikasa (Izumi Takanashi), Yuuichi Nakamura (Yohei Mashiba)
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Airing Date: July 04th, 2015
Wakaba Girl
Synopsis
Wakaba Kohashi is the daughter of a rich family who admires “gyaru” fashion subculture. Her friends are all different including the pure, innocent, fairy-tale-like Moeko, the capricious Mao, and Nao who used to be an athletic type of girl, but now loves the boys-love genre.
This is the third title from “Ultra Super Anime Time” and it is based on a four-panel gag manga by Yui Hara (Kinmoza! Kiniro + Mosaic). The director Is Seiji Watanabe (key animation on Full Metal Panic!) who makes his debut. The writer is Jukki Hanada who has written for all sorts of great series like Nichijou, Robotics;Notes and Red Garden.
Staff: Seiji Watanabe (Director), Jukki Hanada (Series Scripts), Yui Hara (Original Creator), Kana Ishida (Character Designer)
Voice Actors: Ari Ozawa (Wakaba Kohashi), M.A.O (Mao Kurokawa), Mikako Izawa (Moeko Tokita), Rie Murakawa (Nao Mashiba)
Studio: Nexus
Airing Date: July 03rd, 2015
Wakako-Zake
Synopsis
26-year old Wakako Murasaki loves going out alone to find new places to eat and drink. We see her visiting different bars and restaurants enjoying different combinations of food and drink.
I have started including anime shorts in previews because they sometimes have an interesting premise that drives the series. Wakako-Zake is based on Chie Shinkyu’s manga of the same named and has been split up into twelve episodes which last three-minutes each. The manga was first serialised in 2011 and so far there have been four volumes released. Chie Shinkyu’s characters are adapted for the screen by Yoshishige Kosako (key animation on excellent series like Monster and Polar Bear’s Café) while Yuki Yukie (Dream Eater Merry) is art director. Minoru Yamaoka is pulling everything together and he has experience as an episode director on Terror in Resonance to the wonderful Oh! Edo Rocket.
The lead role is taken by Miyuki Sawashiro who can be heard in great anime like Arakawa Under the Bridge as Maria and Time of Eve as Chie.
Staff: Minoru Yamaoka (Director), Chie Shinkyu (Original Creator), Yoshishige Kosako (Character Design), Yuki Yukie (Art Director)
Voice Actors: Miyuki Sawashiro (Wakako Murasaki)
Studio: office DCI
Airing Date: July 06th, 2015
Wooser’s Hand to Mouth Life (Wooser no Sono Higurashi Mugen-hen)
Synopsis
Wooser’s Hand to Mouth Life gets a third season. The original was a series of 3D shorts based on Wooser, a mysterious mascot character who lives on the internet. He may look cute but he has a corrupt heart that craves money, eating and gals! Fittingly enough Wooser is voiced by the awesome Mamoru Miyano who could be heard voicing Shuu Tsukiyama in Tokyo Ghoul, another character who liked meat.
Staff: Seiji Mizushima (Director), Yoshiki Usa (Original Creator/Character Designer), Kazuyuki Fudeyasu, Masaya Honda, Takahashi Tatsuya, Gen Urobuchi, Yuniko Ayana, (Series Scripts)
Voice Actors: Mamoru Miyano (Wooser), Haruka Nagamune (Ren), TiA (Yuu), Minori Ozawa (Rin), Yuri Sato (Miho), Hiroshi Kamiya (Darth Wooser), Yukari Tamura (Announcement Wooser)
Studio: Sanzigen Animation Studio
Airing Date: July 03rd, 2015
And that’s it for this part of the guide.
