Fall, 2011

Much to my surprise, Crunchyroll has already posted fall’s lineup. There’s some surprises, some intriguing series, and a whole lotta crap. Anyone surprised?

Head below the fold, either way…

Let’s face it. Summer is the kind of season that the only thing we’ve got to keep us going is looking forward to fall. Unfortunately, aside from a few points of interest, Fall is looking pretty sad also.

Busou Shinki Moon Angel: Based on action figures; someone is trying to copy the success(?) of Strike Witches. Conventional wisdom says the copycat is always worse.
Chihayafuru:Tries to do for a card game what Saki did for Mahjong.
Guilty Crown: Boy with psychic power meets girl, mechas and revolution ensues. Code Geass in reverse? I think I’m seeing a pattern here…
Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon: So much for pattern. I read the description, which I believe to have been mistranslated. Or this show is just too complex to shoehorn into one paragraph. I don’t know whether to expect anything or not.
Fate/Zero: The prequel to Fate Stay/Night, telling the story of the 4th Grail war. If that’s Saber, her armor got an upgrade. I’m intrigued, but the problem is… we know how it ends.
Tamayura: Don’t slice my life, bro.
Fujilog Second Season: All about a 33 year old NEET. The good news is I was apparently oblivious to the first season.
Mashiro-iro Symphony: The first boy at an all girl’s school. I smell a pure harem story. Could be worse, it could be a part-harem part-horror story that never does anything worth mentioning with the horror side. Fortune Arterial, I’m lookin’ at you. Or for really bad, how about part harem, part horror, all angst? Sounds like Shana.
Shiryakui? Ika Musume: Squid Girl, the sequel.
Working!!: Also the sequel, as can be told from the double exclamation marks.
Last Exile: Farn, the Silver Wing: Sequel or retelling? Not sure. Haven’t seen the original yet.

So far, I’m definitely seeing a pattern here: Copycats, Sequels, Prequels, and Formulas. Oh wait, I just described 95% of all anime made in the last two years.

Un-Go I don’t know and apparently the studio (Bones) doesn’t either, seeing as they haven’t released any information. Probably not a good sign, but at least it doesn’t fit in the above categories. Yet.
Mobile Suit Gundam Age: Oh dear God, not another one. Recipe for attracting sure-fire sales from the mecha fanbois: 1. Make up a mecha story. 2. Paint the mechas white. 3. Slap a Gundam name on it. 4. Sit back and rake in profits.
Kimi to Boku: Three guys and one girl. Life ensues.
Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinesai!!: Adaptation of a hentai game; one guy, lots of warrior babes at a high-school. Sounds like a fanservice fest.
Lupin III: I guess he was so disappointed in his daughter Riko Lupin IV (see ARIA), that he had to return to claim the crown of best thief. We’ll have to see if it’s as good as the OVA’s of old.
Mirai Nikki” Oh, hell YES. I read this manga from start to finish, and while it was sometimes a bit confusing or strange, it’s got a yandere for the ages. Psychological thriller, with a fair bit of graphic violence. Not recommended for small children and people who like their anime warm, fuzzy, and/or bouncy.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Girls making friends. Run away.
Persona 4: the Animation: I’m still working on Persona 1-3. Or not.
Shakuagan no Shanna III Final: Aieee! Speak the devil’s name and he shall appear! More Flame Hazes! More Angst! At least we’ll be done with it… if they’re telling the truth with the “final” bit.
Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle: Another WTF? description that comes off poorly.
Bakuman Second Season: Three students, one romantic triangle, and a manga. It continues.
C3: Only a few chapters of the manga were ever translated (at least that I found), and the story wasn’t that good. The relationship was rather contrived, and the story was too chaotic, substituting action for coherence. Cute girls as anthropomorphic weapons again, sorta.
Ben-to: “Supermarket survival battle” for half-price bento. That’s right. Please tell me this description isn’t really what it’s about.
Battle Sprites: Heroes Because we can’t have too many shows based on trading card games.
Cross Fight B Daman Nor can we have enough mecha shows based on mecha toys.

OVA: Just when you thought the series were bad enough….
Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: I was hoping The World God Only Knows would continue as a series, but this OVA, bundled with Vol. 14 is it. Too bad; it looks like it’s about to get to the meat of the story, as Tenri shows up.
Aa Megami-Sama: Ah My Goddess, but after that last awful OVA, I have no desire to watch this.
Saiyuki Gaiden: Prequel to Sayuki, which I never watched.
Higurashi: Another installment of the homicidal violent lolis.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Wait, what? A series and an OVA at the same time, or did the list maker screw up?
VitaminX Addiction:: Free, this 1 secret to a flat belly! Or an anime adapted from a date sim. Sounds like a reverse harem.
Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi: Boy takes job at parent’s company, doesn’t get along with editor. From a manga.
Hakuouki Hekketsu-roku: Spinoffs from a series I never heard of.
Kaibutsu Oujo: Another (poorly animated) installment of the Monster Princess series. If it’s no better than the last, I have no interest.
Deadman Wonderland: An “unaired episode” of the series.
Queen’s Blade: What, we didn’t get enough T&A the first two times?
Yozakura Quartet Hoshi no Umi One normal guy, three super-powered girls protect a city from the supernatural. Charlie’s Angels meets Ghost Stories. Yawn.
Seitokai Yakuindomo One guy, three student council girls. The studio is “GoHands”. Boy, does that give me ideas.
Infinite Stratos If the subtitle is any indication, it will be a fanservice romp having nothing to do with the plot. Not that the series had much of one.

There’s a few movies listed, but I don’t see the next Evangelion in them anywhere. All in all… the early pattern holds true, with the addition of some manga/game adaptations. Mirai Nikki is about the only one I’m looking forward to. Not quite the wasteland that summer has been, but not far from it, either.

Edit: I didn’t list any continuing series, since they weren’t in Crunchy’s list, but it looks like the big three are going to continue: Bleach, One Piece, and probably Naruto. At least I’ve seen nothing about any of them ending. Also Fairy Tail has been picked up for a third year..