The calendar has turned and July is upon us, marking the conclusions of a number of beloved anime last week and signaling the advent of dozens of new shows for the next three months.As with every other season preview here, this one will take a complete and comprehensive look at all the shows airing this Summer with a special focus on all the new franchises and series premiering for the first time.Also included in a quick note about my plans for this season which will include a hiatus to some extent which will likely changed how I write about anime this season.So with that, onto the anime for Summer 2013!
Regarding my planned hiatus over the Summer, I will be moving sometime shortly and beginning to work more than ever before, which leads me to believe I will be taking a break from blogging for a while.If I can manage my time and find a way to keep current with a number of shows and write about them every week, then I'll likely continue to blog the various anime that I watch over the next three months.However, I am planning for the event that I am unable to blog, so I am putting a warning here and will make another announcement later should I actually take a vacation from blogging.That being said, I'll also probably have a lighter load of anime this season as compared to previous seasons, so even if I do continue to blog, I'll likely be watching fewer shows than normal which will give me a lighter load to watch and write about every week.However, that load really depends on the quality of anime this season, so let's see what's coming out this month, starting with the sequels and other continuations.
Summer 2013 features the return of a number of familiar series and franchises in the forms of various sequels, spin-offs, alternative adaptations, and other forms that continue otherwise popular or established anime.Returning this month are: FATE/KALEID LINEAR PRISMA ILLYA, FUTARI WA MILKY HOLMES, GENSHIKEN NIDAIME, HAKKENDEN: TOUHOU HAKKEN IBUN 2, HIGHSCHOOL DXD NEW, KAMI NOMI ZO SHIRU SEKAI 3, KINGDOM 2, MONOGATARI SERIES: SECOND SEASON, RECORDER TO RANDOSERU MI, RO-KYU-BU! SS, ROZEN MAIDEN, SENKI ZESSHOU SYMPHOGEAR G, SENYUU. 2, TAMAYURA: MORE AGGRESSIVE, and TEEKYUU 2.As always, if you're already planning on watching these shows or even the slightest bit interested, you probably have already experienced the anime once before and have a decent understanding of what to expect.If you don't and you're planning on watching one of these shows, watching the all the previous seasons will do more for you than anything I could ever do, so I recommend that instead.However, of the anime I am somewhat knowledgeable about and am planning on watching this season, here are my thoughts:
MONOGATARI SERIES: SECOND SEASON
Opinion: The original, BAKEMONOGATARI, is a favorite of mine.And while NISEMONOGATARI and NEKOMONOGATARI failed to live up to my expectations in relation to the original, I am anticipating that these continuation of the latter novels will have a better opportunity to recapture the illustriousness and brilliance of the original Bakemonogatari.I don't expect it to surpass Bakemonogatari, but I'm expecting it to be second in the series and one of the better anime of 2013.
Plans for this show: WILL WATCH
TEEKYUU 2
Opinion: The original season of Teekyuu is probably easily my favorite short anime.And with episodes lasting only 2 minutes, it's the only anime that I can vouch that will leave you laughing for more than the duration of each episode.Okay, not all of it is as great as some episodes, but the series so far is only 24 minutes and well worth your time.I'm expecting this second season to be more of the same.
Plans for this show: WILL WATCH
ROZEN MAIDEN
Opinion: Although I haven't watched the original Rozen Maiden that aired back in 2004, I am expecting to start up this retelling of Rozen Maiden should it begin from the very beginning and not from some other time-point in the story.If it does require prior knowledge and a previous viewing of the series, I'll probably try to squeeze in the original sometime before falling too far behind.Or at least, that's the plan.Otherwise, I'll be watching Rozen Maiden this Summer.
Plans for this show: LIKELY WATCH
SENYUU. 2
Opinion: Senyuu is a delightful comedy, though it does suffer from some minor (and major) faults that keep me from being too excited for its return.For one, I wish they'd do away with the whole lolicon aspect (and the lolicon characters) and keep the show toward its silly and innocent aspect.If so, then I'll hail this second season as a victory in the enhancement of anime.If not or if it becomes worse, then I don't mind cutting ties with series.
Plans for this show: LIKELY WATCH
TAMAYURA: MORE AGGRESSIVE
Opinion: Tamayura is an anime I want to love.It has a descriptive and vibrant setting, a cast of characters that has developed well over the previous dozen episodes and an endearing message that is effectively told in each episode.What's holding me back, and what's really damning about this series, is that the episodes are often extremely boring and that I don't like anyone in the main cast except for Kaoru.After seeing that Tamayura is returning this season, I immediately recalled my last experience with TAMAYURA ~HITOTOSE~ being regrettable and deciding that I wouldn't continue with the series again.But the more I think about it, the more I want to give this anime one more shot to make sure I'm making the right decision.It really depends on how boring the first episode is or how annoyed I get at either Norie or Kou.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
So, with the continuing anime section complete, all that remains of the Summer 2013 anime season preview are all the new anime that will debut this month.With a total of 20 (or thereabouts) new anime airing over the next two weeks, it seems as though this will be a rather light season in terms of anime, though considerably heavy when including all the sequels and all the shows spilling over from the Spring.
The order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but ranked in order of my personal anticipation and how likely I believe I will watch that anime this season.Every anime is evaluated and placed into one of five tiers ordered: WILL WATCH, LIKELY WATCH, MAYBE WATCH, DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT, and NO DICE.Within each tier, the anime are listed alphabetically.Dates are not included because who knows when and where these shows will be subbed and available to watch (which really is the most important!).So with that, let's take a look at the new anime for Summer 2013:
WATASHI GA MOTENAI NO WA DOU KANGAETE MO OMAERA GA WARUI! (IT'S NOT MY FAULT THAT I'M NOT POPULAR!)
Opinion: Having read a couple of chapters of Watamote, I know exactly what I'll be getting into with this charming comedy about a luckless girl and her simultaneously humorous and gloomy misadventures in life. What I enjoy about this comedy as compared to others is how it does intersperse some depressing storylines within its humor while also incorporating heartwarming moments as well.It also helps that the story, characters and setting are all simple too, meaning the anime can focus on the comedy first and foremost.I just hope that the anime has decent production values to supplement my enjoyment of this anime.
Plans for this show: WILL WATCH
CHOUJIGEN GAME NEPTUNE: THE ANIMATION
Opinion: Although I'm a complete novice when it comes to the Neptune series, I've always been a fan of the art style and character designs of Neptunia.But what differentiates this from DATE-A-LIVE which also features Tsunako's art/character designs, I find the characters, story and setting to be much improved from its cousin series.Neptunia just seems like a fun, casual anime that incorporates elements of video games into its entertainment and humor.I do have some reservations with this series, however, and I do have a sinking feeling that this will be rather mediocre or mundane, but at least I already know I'll like the art and animation of this anime.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
DANGANRONPA: KIBOU NO GAKUEN TO ZETSUBOU NO KOKOUSEI (DANGANRONPA: THE ANIMATION)
Opinion: The style of Danganronpa is what caught my eye about this series and the premise, of a survival-game murder-mystery is certainly interesting.I'm not exactly sure how I'll enjoy a series of this nature with survival-games being among my least favorite genres, but Danganronpa interests me more than any other anime for this Summer.I'm looking forward to seeing how this series plays out, especially considering that it seems to be one of the more popular and highly anticipated anime of the season.However, that doesn't necessarily mean I'll be keeping it around, especially if its style is a bit too much or a bit too heavy for my preferences.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
GATCHAMAN CROWDS
Opinion: I have fond memories of watching GATCHAMAN as a kid on television, though this version, 41 years after the original, seems to be slightly similar but almost entirely different.I haven't been able to find too much about the series and the promotional art doesn't seem to show a strong resemblance to the original, but it does sound like a group of kids protecting the Earth and fighting aliens, so it has some parallels beyond its name.Since it's really unclear at this point on what it'll be, I've got about a medium-level for my anticipation of this series, meaning I won't be surprised if I love it or I hate it (or if it'll be right here, in the middle, when the series ends).
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
GIN NO SAJI (SILVER SPOON)
Opinion: After the disappointment that was MOYASHIMON 2, I'm looking forward to another agricultural school anime in the form of Silver Spoon.However, unlike Moyashimon before this, I'm planning on keeping my expectations for this one to be low, especially in terms of its comedy and its focus on science.Hopefully then will my expectations then be met or exceeded but I can also see this anime being slightly or somewhat boring depending on how it presents itself and the whole school curriculum and slice-of-life aspects of being in the agricultural industry.As compared to the other anime in this tier, this one is one that I'm looking forward to the most.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
KAMISAMA NO INAI NICHIYOUBI (THE SUNDAY WITHOUT GOD)
Opinion: Although I'm not terribly interested in the story or concerned about the characters at this point, I am fascinated by the art and style of Kami Nai.The art, animation, scenery, music and cinematography from the PV alone are reason enough for me to be excited about this series, so I desperately hope that the anime mirrors the style presented to us in this promotional video.The doubts I have about this series though, revolves around the story and the characters which seem to be the weaker links at this point in my evaluation.I guess I'll know whether I want to watch this anime or not after giving it an episode or two.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
STELLA JOGAKUIN KOUTOU-KA C3-BU
Opinion: I'm not expecting too much from C3-bu except to be amused and entertained.I'm not sure how much the show will have in the ways of comedy but, judging from the PV alone, it seems the action sequences have surprisingly good production values and that the focus on military survival games does make it interesting after watching shows with somewhat related settings like GIRLS UND PANZER and UPOTTE!!.Hopefully this anime will be like the former in its focus on military drills and comedy since I did enjoy Girls und Panzer overall.However, if this turns out to be something like Upotte!!, I might consider dropping it pretty quickly.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
UCHOUTEN KAZOKU
Opinion: Uchouten Kazoku has a fantastic visual style, an intriguing premise and a setting that injects a little bit of fantasy and folklore into a modern Japanese metropolis.This anime has the potential to be one of the best of the season, solely based on its visual style and animation, but I do worry that the anime might drabble into bland and boring like so many other of P.A. Works' anime.I haven't fared well with the studio's anime lately, so hopefully this show can reverse the trend and delight me with an amusing story to pair with its phenomenal art and animation.
Plans for this show: MAYBE WATCH
FREE!
Opinion: I can't say I'm terribly excited to watch Free! but the anime does feature some rather pleasant visual styles and a focus on sports, which is a genre that has grown immensely for me over these past two years.I have virtually zero appeal in the story and the characters at this point but I hope they grow on me as I continue to watch this anime.That being said, if the swimming aspect takes a literal dive and the show focuses on slice-of-life or mundane comedy, then I wouldn't mind skipping this one for the summer.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
GEN'EI WO KAKERU TAIYOU (DAY BREAK ILLUSION)
Opinion: Gen'ei wo Kakeru Taiyou, also known as Il Sole Penetra le Illusioni, does interest me with its wide array of colors, adorable cast of characters and the promise of magical girls fighting evil tarot cards.That said, it does sound like a poor man's version of PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA, but that alone shouldn't stop me from giving this anime a shot.What worries me the most at this point is that it'll be rather generic with its overall plot and have episodic content throughout, akin to many magical girl shows, and I'm not entirely sure I want to watch something like that this season.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
KINIRO MOSAIC (YELLOW MOSAIC)
Opinion: What'll make or break this anime is how amusing its comedy is and how much I indulge on its slice-of-life aspects.It's definitely a cutesy, moe anime that features girls doing nothing, so it'll either be an adorable 24-minutes each week or 24-minutes I'll spend watching some other anime.I think I'll have a pretty good idea of whether this is worthwhile or not after the first episode, but I hope it proves to be entertaining given its charming art and characters.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
KITAKUBU KATSUDOU KIROKU (CHRONICLES OF THE GOING HOME CLUB)
Opinion: I'm not really sure how the comedy will be presented in this anime, so I'm a bit skeptical about it at this point.After watching one episode, I should have a general idea of what to expect from this series, not just its comedy, but also its characters and if there's any meaningful story or just pure entertainment value.It'll get an episode to start, and we'll see how it goes from there.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
SERVANT X SERVICE
Opinion: I can see myself watching this anime if it's a short 3- or 5-minute show but I have my doubts if it'll be the standard 24-minutes.It does have the promise of comedy which is something I always appreciate, so if that works out, this will be a keeper.I also hope to have some insight in how the health and welfare section of the local government works, so hopefully it has some comedy focused on that instead of just generic office or work comedy.So like most of the other comedy anime before this, it'll be the humor that decides this one for me.
Plans for this show: DOUBTFUL BUT IT GETS A SHOT
And all that remains are the anime that I have virtually no interest in watching.The reason why these anime are slotted here is because they either appear to already be flawed, boring, or simply outside my demographic.While these anime may in fact be watchable to some, they do not appear that way for me.I doubt I'll watch any more than the PV linked in their sections but there's always a chance for me to pick one or two up every season, so not all hope is lost for these shows.However, for most of them, there's already zero chance I'll even think about them after writing my opinions for each.
BLOOD LAD
Opinion: These types of silly comedies only work when the characters are energetic, exciting and over-the-top.Unfortunately, everyone in the cast of this looks bored and listless, like lifeless bodies raised from the dead.Oh, that's the point of this show?Well, then no thanks.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
BROTHER'S CONFLICT
Opinion: Hahahano.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
FANTASIA DOLL
Opinion: I'll probably watch the first episode but I really don't feel like keeping up with this anime for a whole season.It has some merits but nothing that really interests me this season.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
INU TO HASAMI WA TSUKAIYOU (DOG & SCISSORS)
Opinion: I just can't see myself enjoying this animeor it being even remotely good.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
KIMI NO IRU MACHI (A TOWN WHERE YOU LIVE)
Opinion: Not really in the mood for a romance, especially where the setting is as bad as this one.Do we really need another story where a girl is forced to live with a guy like this?I know I can do without this.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
LOVE LAB
Opinion: This seems to be the weakest of all the schoolgirl comedies this season, so unless all the previous ones fail and this one proves to be entertaining, I probably won't watch this.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
MAKAI OUJI: DEVILS AND REALIST
Opinion: If the comedy is worthwhile, I might take a gander at it later, but it doesn't appear to be all that amusing.That and it's way outside of my demographic, so I'm fine with passing it up for now.
Plans for this show: NO DICE
And with that, the Summer 2013 Season Preview is over.All that remains is waiting for all these shows to premiere and for us to watch and evaluate each one on whether they're worth keeping or not.What's next for me will be myposts, which will provide actual insight and opinions into how each anime performs and what my plans will be for this Summer.Until then, I sincerely hope you all have fun watching and enjoying all the new shows this season!!
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