Episode 245 – Enter Kazuo and Fall 2014 Anime Selections

The Anime Addicts Anonymous Podcast discusses the new fall 2014 anime season on their weekly podcast. What are we most looking forward to and what we will avoid. To discuss our picks with us is the new host Kazuo!

 MITSUGI:

Pick 1 – Kiseijuu (number 1)
Studio Madhouse
Director – Kenichi Shimizu – nothing
Summary – Shinichi Izumi is a normal high school boy whose right hand has become infected with an alien parasite that names itself “Migi” (“right”). Migi is the first parasite to develop a symbiotic relationship with its host, as he and Shinichi slowly develop a grudging friendship. Migi isn’t the only Parasite on earth, however, and as cases of Parasites killing humans begin to emerge, humans seek to kill off Parasites. Shinichi and Migi find themselves caught in between these two sides of the struggle over planet earth.
Side comment – The manga PArasyte seems well liked. I looked it up and people had nice things to say about it.

Pick 2 – Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (number 2)
Ufotable
Director – Takahiro Miura – Kara no Kyoukai (ep 6)
Summary – Shirou Emiya finds himself an unwilling participant in a deadly competition where seven Mages summon heroic spirits as servants to duel each other to the death. They compete for the chance to make a wish from the Holy Grail, which has the power to grant any wish. Shiro is unskilled as a mage and knows nothing of the Holy Grail War, but he and his servant, Saber, enters into a temporary partnership with another Mage, Rin Tohsaka. However, problems arise between Shirou and Rin’s servant, Archer, who seems to seriously despise him.
Side Comment – Gizz fanboys,Gizz!!!!
Side Comment – I don’t know much about the Fate franchise so…Korekara yoroshiku onegai shimasu
Pick 3 – Akatsuki no Yona (number 5)
Studio Pierrot
Director – Kazuhiro Yoneda – nothing
Summary – King Il of Kouka, a land said in legends to have been founded by four dragons, has only one remaining heir, a daughter named Yona. She lives a happy life in the palace with her cousin Soo-won, who she loves in spite of her father’s opposition to them marrying. Her life is turned upside down when Soo-won murders her father and steals the throne. Yona, with her childhood friend and bodyguard Hak, must retreat to gather allies and reclaim her place as ruler of the kingdom.
Side Notes – Looks like a fantasy epic. Reminds me a little of a cross between Seirei no Moribito (guardian of the sacred spirit) and Saiunkoku Monogatari. Lots of swords and magic and really nice looking characters and some interesting fight choreography
Pick 4 – Orenchi no Furo Jijou (Number 7)
Asahi Productions
Director – Soyo Aoi (A WOMAN!?!?!) – Nothing
Summary – Tatsumi is a high school student who lives on his own, until a merman named Wakasa takes up residence in his bathtub. His solitary lifestyle is turned upside down by the self-centered, “devastatingly handsome” new roommate.
Translation from the trailor – What kind of an anime is an anime about a bath? It’s an anime with a super cool attitude high schooler, Tatsumi, and all kinds of weird guests arrive that arrive!
Orenchi no Furo ni ha… ikemen ningyou ga sundemasu!
Pick 5 – Girlfriend (number 8)
Silver Link
Director – Naotaka Hayashi – nothing much
Summary – An anime adaptation of the mobile game “Girlfriend (Kari)”, a game where the player has a girlfriend, has been announced. WIKIPEDIA – The game is a dating simulator which features over 100 different virtual girls, each with a unique voice actress. The player progresses their relationship with the virtual girlfriend by taking her on dates.[2] The game is free-to-play, however the player pays real-world money to gain premium services.[3] The game features various events that occur, including battle events when bad guys appear. The player can engage in club activities and school class events to solicit romance and increase intimacy with female students. There is a card-based system within the game, where the player collects different cards of varying rarity; each card has different attributes, such as attack and defense costs. Cards can be enhanced by engaging in a part-time job.
Special notes – smart phone game has over 5.3 million users as of 2014. Virtual currency expenditures within march 2014 alone where valued at $16.5 million.
Notes – The anime’s PV makes me touch my nips. This anime is going to make a gazillion dollars and have half of Japan watching it.

CHIAKI:
Pick 1 – Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (number 1)
A-1 Pictures
Director – Kyohei Ishiguro – Not much else
Summary – Piano prodigy Arima Kosei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital that resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano even though his hearing was perfectly fine. Even two years later, Kosei hasn’t touched the piano and views the world in monotone, and without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kosei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kosei was used to.
Side comment – This is airing on Fuji TV’s noitamina block
Pick 2 – Sanzoku no Musume Ronja (number 3)
Studio Ghibli
Director – Gorou Miyazaki – Tales from Earthsea, From Up on Poppy Hill
Summary – The story is about a girl named Ronja who is the daughter of a chief of a tribe of bandits and lives in a huge castle in the forest with the bandits. The story follows Ronja as she encounters mystical creatures, makes friends with another young child like herself, and experiences life in the forest.
Side Comment – It is done entirely in CG.
Pick 3 – Danna ga Nani wo Itteru ka Wakaranai (number 4)
???
Director –
Summary – The anime follows the daily life of an earnest, hardworking office lady named Kaoru and her otaku husband, who is totally immersed in a certain huge net bulletin board system.
Side Notes –
Pick 4 – Sora no Method (Number 6)
Studio 3Hz
Director – Masayuki Sakoi – Kamen no Maid Guy, Needless, Princess Resurrection, Strawberry Panic
Summary – The story begins one winter day when the wish of a few girls was realized with a miracle, changing the landscape of a town. “In the skies above this town, a disc is always there.”
Side Comment –
Pick 5 – Donten ni Warau (number 8)
Dogakobo
Director – Naotaka Hayashi – nothing much
Summary – In the eleventh year of the Meiji era carrying swords was forbidden by the government and those known as samurai were slowly fading away. However, there were plenty who didn’t like those changes taking place in Japan and inevitably the crime rates increased. The country’s only solution was an inescapable lake prison. Since the prison had no other way to access it except by water, the three boys of the Kumo family were assigned to transport the criminals to their new “home”. Although, is that the only thing they were doing…?
Special notes – Based on a supernatural manga that began publication in 2011

Kazuo:
1. Pick 1 – World Trigger (number 1)
Studio – Toei Animation (One piece, Digimon, Dragon ball, etc.)
Director – Mitsuru Hongo (Shin-chan, IGPX, Outlaw Star, Sakura Wars: The movie)
Summary – A gate to another dimension has burst open, and from it emerge gigantic invincible creatures that threaten all of humanity. Earth’s only defense is a mysterious group of warriors who have co-opted the alien technology in order to fight back.
Side comment – Based on the highly successful manga of the same name, published in Shonen Jump since Feb. 2013.

2. Pick 2 – Denki-gai no Honya-san (number 2)
Studio – Shin-ei Animation (Doraemon, Shin-Chan)
Director – Masafumi Sato (Mostly story-board and animation)
Summary – Umio is a shy kid who just started his part time job at a manga store smack dab in the middle of the city. But his lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as the neon lights that illuminate the city. Umio’s closest friends are his co-workers who are all unique characters, to say the least, and although they’re nice people, they have their quirks. They are a tight knit group of friends, have nicknames for each other and spend their weekends inside, sheltered from the extravagant scene happening on the outside.
d. Side comment – The manga has been running since 2011.

3. Pick 3 – Shingeki no Bahamut Genesis (number 3)
Studio – Mappa (Hajime no Ippo Rising, Kids on the Slope, Space Brothers, Space Dandy)
Director – Keiichi Satou (Karas, Tiger & Bunny)
Summary – Mistarcia is a magical world where humans, gods, and demons mingle together. In the past, the black and silver winged Bahamut had threatened to destroy the land, but humans, gods, and demons overcame their differences to fight together and seal its power. The key to the seal was slit in two, one half given to the gods and the other to demons, so that they would never be united and Bahamut never released. Now, two thousand years later, the world is in an era of peace – until the day a human woman steals the god’s half of the key.
Side comment – Based on the online card game, Rage of Bahamut

4. Pick 4 – Shirobako (number 9)
Studio – P.A. Works (Canaan, Angel Beats)
Director – Tsutomu Mizushima (Big Windup, Shin-chan, Genshiken)
Summary – Five girls chase their dreams. The story revolves around the everyday troubles and hardships that occur when working in the anime industry, and the results and conflicts that happen day-to-day among the group of girls.
Side comment –

5. Pick 5 – Nanatsu no Taizai (number 10)
Studio – A-1 Pictures (Big Windup, Space brothers, Sword Art Online)
Director – Tensai Okamura (Darker than Black, Wolf’s Rain)
Summary – The Seven Deadly Sins were once an active group of knights in the region of Britannia, who disbanded after they supposedly plotted to overthrow the Liones Kingdom. Their supposed defeat came at the hands of the Holy Knights, but rumors continued to persist that they were still alive. Ten years later, the Holy Knights staged a coup d’état and captured the king, becoming the new, tyrannical rulers of the kingdom. The third princess, Elizabeth, then starts on a journey to find the Seven Deadly Sins, and to enlist their help in taking back the kingdom.
Side comments – Another anime based on a Shonen Jump manga, running since Oct. 2012. The collected volumes have 5 million copies in circulation. Ranked the fifth best manga series for male readers. Nominated for the 2014 Manga Taisho award.

Summaries from: AniChart.net