I am looking forward to see if Spring will outspit the almost finished Winter season – Winter 2016 had a fair number of series that were really solid and strong for me – Grimgar, Dimension W, Shouwa Rakugo (probably my top series of the season), Boku Dake, Shirayuki-hime pt 2 and Dagashi Kashi were all fantastic. And there were also some really, really well written short series and a few quite nice surprises.

The Spring 2016 season this year looks pretty darn good from where I am sitting at the moment, though, and I have heard several other people with different niche interests than mine saying the same thing. This very fact, though, has made me wonder whether or no the upcoming season will be strong “across many genres” for many viewers … this is a hard impression to articulate for me at the moment, but I guess we will just have to wait and see how things turn out. As before, there are a number of sites that have well developed anime previews, including the sites at: livechart, anichart, and neregate.

Let’s take a look at the next season’s preview then, shall we? ^^

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First comes the section dedicated to my most anticipated series in the coming season:

The Flying Witch. “In a land blessed by nature’s bountiful beauty, bizarre things begin to take place. Makoto Kowata, 15 years old, is a professional witch. She left Yokohama with Chito, her black cat, to live in the house of her relatives in Aomori. This is where she begins to train as a witch. Even though Makoto’s powers are still limited to just flying through the sky, she and her second cousins Kei and Chinatsu surely make the most out of each and every day. ”

Without a doubt this is the most anticipated new series of this season for me. I have read the manga since the first chapters have come out and I absolutely adore it. The studio doing the adaptation is J.C. Staff, and the previews have looked positively gorgeous. Considering J.C. Staff has had a pretty good track record of late with adaptations I am really looking forward to seeing what they will do with this wonderful story. Think of a combination between Kiki’s Delivery Service and Non Non Biyori and you have a general idea of the series. ^^

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou – The Last Song. “What if superhumans were real? Even better, what if every fabled superhuman existed at the same time, in the same place? Titans from outer space, life forms from a mystical world, phantoms and goblins from ancient times, cyborgs created by scientists, relics that rose out of the ruins of ancient civilizations. In another Japan, it’s not just a question of “what if”—it’s a reality. Some of the superhumans choose to keep their identities a secret, while others bask in their superhuman fame. Jiro Hitoyoshi, member of the Superhuman Bureau, keeps track of their doings.”

In some ways it is a pity that the first half of the split cour of this series aired at the same time One Punch Man did. One Punch Man was a very good series, but truth be told I found that Concrete Revolutio, although it took a little getting used to it at first, was much more engaging for me and even fascinating at times. By the time the season ended I was totally immersed in the story. This series somehow flew under a lot of people’s radar and deserves a lot more attention in my opinion.

Ushio to Tora 2. “Ushio thinks that his father’s talk of an ancient ancestor impaling a demon on a temple altar stone with the legendary Beast Spear is nuts, but when he finds the monster in his own basement, Ushio has to take another look at the family legend! To save his friends and family from the invading spirits, Ushio is forced to release Tora from his captivity. But will the creature prove to be worse than the curse?”

For someone who is not really much of an ideal audience for the shounen genre I was surprised at how GOOD the anime adaptation of this series was! I have never read the manga, and for the moment I am going to hold off until the adaptation is finished, but man – this first part of this was just downright solid. I am looking forward to see how the series ends!

Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge. “Tanaka who is a high school student simply is a slacker and does not want to do anything at all. He loves to sleep during classes and prefers not moving to save energy. One day he meets his classmate, Ota who is exactly the opposite. Ota is energetic and leader in class. He becomes friends with Tanaka and tries to make him start moving. Based on a popular comic from Nozomi Uda.”

Okay … first and foremost this is comedy, but it is a very particular sort of comedy that, having read the manga for some time now, could really be difficult to effectively convey or mess up an adaptation of it. But from the previews that come out I am anticipating a very skilful handling of it – the studio, Silver Link, really seems to “get” what makes the humor in this series work, and if they can pull it off consistently and let the material speak for itself this could be absolutely hilarious.

There are also a handful of series that look mildly engaging that I am looking forward to trying out:

Mayoiga. “30 young men and women who came together on a shady bus tour. The tour’s destination: an illusive, possibly nonexistent village called Nanakimura. In Nanakimura, one can lead a utopian existence, free of the world’s obstacles … or so it was rumored, like an urban legend. “In despair over the real world … wanting to escape the tedious daily life … wanting to restart your life from scratch …” The bus headed deep into the mountains, carrying 30 people each harboring their own expectations and wounds in their hearts… And so, the place these 30 arrived at, was an uninhabited village with the lingering faint scents of life, even though it was falling apart. What is the truth of Nanakimura facing the 30?”

To be honest the first thing I thought of when I saw the earliest announcement for this series was a special move mentioned in the third season of the Saki anime adaptation (Zenkoku) that was called Mayoiga and then went on to describe a folk tale. What was my surprise to discover that the title of this anime focuses on the same folk tale, but takes a very different take on it … yes indeed, I am very interested to see what will be done with this storyline. This could easily be a sleeper hit of the season.

Bungou Stray Dogs. “Nakajima Atsushi was kicked out of his orphanage, and now he has no place to go and no food. While he is standing by a river, on the brink of starvation, he rescues a man whimsically attempting suicide. That man is Dazai Osamu, and he and his partner Kunikida are members of a very special detective agency. They have supernatural powers, and deal with cases that are too dangerous for the police or the military. They’re tracking down a tiger that has appeared in the area recently, around the time Atsushi came to the area. The tiger seems to have a connection to Atsushi, and by the time the case is solved, it is clear that Atsushi’s future will involve much more of Dazai and the rest of the detectives!”

This series is one I have not known of before this season, but both the previews and the general information about the series proper that has trickled out it looks to be a brilliantly written and gritty story, and in the hands of Studio Bones I expect very great things. Bring it on! XD

12-Sai. Chiccha na Mune no Tokimeki. “The story begins with Hanabi, a sixth-grade girl who is neither an adult nor a child. She deals with issues such as accidentally witnessing her homeroom teacher kissing, and worrying about experiencing physiological changes before her friends. This is the depiction of a 12-year-old girl’s innocent worries and first love.”

I saw the OVA released of the series some time ago and was positively charmed by it, but from what I understand the series itself actually goes into deeper issues and addresses interesting topics, and I am very, very interested to see how it is handled. There is something about this series that has been tugging insistently at the sleeve of my shirt ever since it was announced, and I hope it delivers

Hai Furi. “‘In the sea we live, the sea we protect, and by the sea we go.’ Japan, 100 years after plate subductions caused many other countries to be submerged. To save the remaining countries, the coastal cities that had been built up were launched into the seas, and the seaborne routes between them expanded. With this expansion, a need for personnel that could safeguard the seas arose. Women began to seek employment in this new industry, and soon, the “Blue Mermaids,” those who keep the sea safe, began to be a source of admiration for many. The childhood friends Akeno Misaki and Moeka China sought to become Blue Mermaids themselves, and together with others who shared their dream, they enrolled in Yokosuka’s Marine High School.”

This is an odd series. I … honestly am not quite sure what it will try and do, and it is being promoted pretty actively. There is an overall feel to the setting that reminds me of a bizarre mix between Girls und Panzer, the Aria trilogy and Girlfriend Beta (no – don’t ask please). I enjoy futuristic settings, though, and there is something about the series that has caught my interest for some time now.

Then there are a fair number of series that I am mildly curious about. These include:

Shounen Maid. “The story revolves around Chihiro Komiya, an energetic elementary school student who was living with his mom. Chihiro is very good at doing housework and chores, and his mother’s motto is “No work, no food.” After his mother suddenly dies, a man named Madoka Taketori who claims to be his uncle shows up, and asks Chihiro to come live with him. Chihiro initially refuses, but when seeing the horribly dirty state of Madoka’s rich home, he decides to start cleaning it. Then Madoka makes another offer to Chihiro: that he comes to live with him, but in exchange Chihiro will do the housework. Chihiro accepts this deal, but suddenly finds himself in a maid uniform.”

Okay … I know the summary sounds like it could be terribly abused and that the series is a disaster waiting to happen, but in fact the source manga is an effective combination of light hearted in a very good way and endearing – it sort of gets under your skin and warms up your heart a bit. If the studio can convey that this will likely be a sleeper hit of the season.

Anne Happy. “The story centers around class 1-7 of Tennogofune Academy, where all the students with “bad karma” or misfortune seem to have been gathered. Hibari, a student in this class, meets the unlucky Hanako and the perennially unhealthy Botan on her first day of school, and together they try to find a way to turn their school life into a happy one.”

To be honest I am not quite sure what to think of this based on the previews – part of me feels this was a disaster waiting to happen, but at the same time the previews of the series itself was presented in a way that grabbed my attention and baffled me at the same time with its quirky presentation style. I absolutely can’t help but be curious – of course it is based on a Kirara series too, which means I have to at least try it! XD

Koutetsujou no Kabaneri. “As the world is in the middle of an industrial revolution, a monster appears that cannot be defeated unless its heart, which is protected by a layer of iron, is pierced. By infecting humans with its bite, the monster can create aggressive and undead creatures known as Kabane. On the island Hinomoto, located in the far east, people have built stations to shelter themselves from these creatures. People access the station, as well as transport wares between them, with the help of a locomotive running on steam, called Hayajiro. Ikoma, a boy who lives in the Aragane station and helps to build Hayajiro, creates his own weapon called Tsuranukizutsu in order to defeat the creatures. One day, as he waits for an opportunity to use his weapon, he meets a girl named Mumei, who is excused from the mandatory Kabane inspection. During the night, Ikuma meets Mumei again as he sees Hayajiro going out of control. The staff on the locomotive has turned into the creatures. The station, now under attack by Kabane, is the opportunity Ikoma has been looking for. ”

Well … semi steampunk setting, also known as “Knock on the Walls of the Armored Fortress”. What can I say? I like steampunk … when done well. Will this be done well? I … have no idea. But I am willing to at least give it a try.

Sakamoto desu ga. “First year high school student Sakamoto isn’t just cool, he’s the coolest! Almost immediately after starting school, he began attracting everyone’s attention. The girls love him, and most of the boys resent him. There’s even a boy in the class who works as a model, but who is constantly upstaged by Sakamoto! No matter what tricks the other boys try to play on him, Sakamoto always manages to foil them with ease and grace. Though Sakamoto may seem cool and aloof, he helps others when asked, such as in the case of the boy in his class who was being constantly bullied. No matter what difficulties Sakamoto encounters, he moves through his high school life with confidence and class!”

This is adapted from a crazily popular manga series (one that ended only after 4 volumes) and while it is very much a “one trick pony” in terms of its style of humor, it is incredibly effective. Once again, if the studio can pull off how impossibly and absurdly cool the main character is this adaptation could easily be side-splittingly funny … erm … if you like that sort of humor. For me it is hit and miss. XD

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In terms of carryovers from the previous season there are three that I am following: Nijiiro Days (which was quite a pleasant surprise!), the little talked about Momokuri and the delightful surprise that is Mahou Tsukai PreCure. The Short series for next season honestly don’t look that great, with the only two outside possibilities at the moment being Pan de Peace (the manga didn’t really do a whole lot for me, even though it is Kirara material) and Wagamama High Spec (which I was disappointed was not made into a full length series, but oh well). As far as OVAs and the like the last of the three Aria the Avvenire OVAs is arriving soon, and the final Tamayura movie should be available.

As far as blogging plans for next season, I plan to take up The Flying Witch, and, of course, will do the fourth Tamayura movie and the final Aria the Avvenire OVA.