April showers bring [Spring 2011] anime

[Seto_Sora]

Looks like Crunchyroll has started filling in their line-up for the Spring season!

http://www.crunchyroll.com/lineup

I'm interested in the one entitled "TBD".

SDG

[Atria35]

I'm interested in the one entitled "TBD".

SDG

I know, right? If they have 9 seasons of it running simultaniously, it must be good!

[blkmage]

It's going to be April by the end of the week, so that means we'll start seeing these shows air.

Times in JST

FRIDAY April 1 (lol April Fools' lol)
2200 - X-Men (Animax)

SATURDAY April 2
0900 - Hamtaro (TV Tokyo)
0930 - Jewelpet (TV Tokyo)
2330 - DOG DAYS (Tokyo MX)

SUNDAY April 3
0158 - TIGER & BUNNY (MBS)
0220 - Nichijou (TV Aichi)
0830 - Beyblade 4D (TV Tokyo)
0900 - Toriko (Fuji TV)
2200 - Hana Saku Iroha (Tokyo MX)
2200 - Showa Monogatari (KBS Kyoto)

MONDAY April 4
0030 - Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai (Chiba TV)
1800 - Gintama (TV Tokyo)
1928 - Fireball Charming (Tokyo TV)
1955 - Fujilog (Teletama)

TUESDAY April 5
0200 - Sengoku Otome (TV Tokyo)
0214 - Tono to Issho (Yomiuri TV)

WEDNESDAY April 6
0059 - Kaiji 2 (NTV)
0205 - STEINS;GATE (Teletama)

THURSDAY April 7
0300 - 30-sai no Hoken Taiiku (Tokyo MX)
1800 - SKET DANCE (TV Tokyo)
2300 - Hyougemono (NHK-BS2)

That should cover the first week.

[MightiMidget]

Just watched Nichijou episode 0. =) I think I really liked it...but not sure.

[Mouse2010]

Just watched the first episode of Tiger and Bunny. I think this is one I'll watch with my husband: I'm not that much of a superhero fan, but he is. My concern is that I'm already afraid that I'm going to hate the pretty-boy "bunny" hero, and Wild Tiger might be just too stupid to sympathize with that much, even though he seems otherwise likeable.

[blkmage]

Dog Days: low quality production, bland characters, premise and setting goes from ┐( ´ー`)┌ to ಠ_ಠ in twenty minutes.

[Midori]

Okay, well I saw Nichijou 0. It was pretty amusing. Nice animation and cute characters. A bit less phrenetic than typical azumanga-type shows.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Dog Days has proven itself to pretty mediocre, though it'll get a couple more episodes before I decide to drop it. I did kind of like how each side had their established champions, but the rest was pretty eh.

[Forgotten]

Aw man, I knew Reborn wouldn't be returning this Spring. </3 Nothing from Bones Studio, either. D; Going to have to check out Ao no Exorcist because it's Okamura Tensai, though. I've loved almost every series he's been involved in. The art strangely reminds me of Nabari no Ou. Only thing I'll probably be watching for sure this season is Deadman Wonderland, because I've been waiting on that one. <33 Agh, I wish it was by a studio I've actually watched something from before, though. D: Pleaseee don't kill it!

"A group of friends have modded their microwave to send text messages to the past." O-Oh wow. That's...um. Keep me posted on how that one...goes.

edit ; just watched the teaser for DW. Oh snap, it's gonna be epic. <33 B-but Ganta...your voice. e_e I keep imagining him to yell 'bankai!' at any moment, rofl. And the opening is in English...? That's different. The lyrics are cheesy. xD Shiro looks gorgeous. ;w;

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

You do know Gosick is still going on and is by Bones, right?

[Forgotten]

Yep~ I saw some of it, and it didn't really catch my attention. P: Mysteries aren't my thing, haha. I might give it a second go though, since the main girl reminds me of Shinku from Rozen Maiden. ♥

[LadyRushia]

Tiger&Bunny was better than I thought it would be, but I was mostly amused by the fact that there's a Pepsi chick.

I watched about half of Dog Days and stopped. Bland, bland, bland.

[blkmage]

I watched about half of Dog Days and stopped. Bland, bland, bland.

Not that it's a game-changer or AMAZING or anything, but the second half of Dog Days has a reveal that makes it slightly different.
[SPOILER]I'm probably going to end up dropping this in a week or two.[/SPOILER]

[blkmage]

Nichijou's first episode was much better than its zeroth episode. Production is top notch, as expected for a KyoAni show. In terms of what kind of show it is, I'm going to be putting it somewhere in between Pani Poni Dash and Azumanga Daioh.

Hanasaku Iroha had a surprisingly strong first episode. I was expecting it to be fairly light-hearted and free-flowing, but it seems like there's going to be drama and an actual plot. Production was also really good, which was never really a problem with PA Works' stuff. Based on the premise, I wasn't expecting much going in, but I'm really looking forward to it now.

[LadyRushia]

Good to hear seeing as how I plan on watching both of those.

[Falx]

Nichijou's first episode was much better than its zeroth episode. Production is top notch, as expected for a KyoAni show. In terms of what kind of show it is, I'm going to be putting it somewhere in between Pani Poni Dash and Azumanga Daioh.

Hanasaku Iroha had a surprisingly strong first episode. I was expecting it to be fairly light-hearted and free-flowing, but it seems like there's going to be drama and an actual plot. Production was also really good, which was never really a problem with PA Works' stuff. Based on the premise, I wasn't expecting much going in, but I'm really looking forward to it now.

It was slightly strange seeing such a simplistic art-style getting KyoAni's usual quality animation, but it still works out. Like you said, the "0" episode filled me with doubt but the actual first episode was random in a very funny way.

HanaIro I'm not sure about... I'm not sure I want to watch a show that can make me want to punch an old woman. What a mean old hag.

I'll still probably end up finishing it though.

[TWWK]

Nichijou's first episode was much better than its zeroth episode. Production is top notch, as expected for a KyoAni show. In terms of what kind of show it is, I'm going to be putting it somewhere in between Pani Poni Dash and Azumanga Daioh.

Hanasaku Iroha had a surprisingly strong first episode. I was expecting it to be fairly light-hearted and free-flowing, but it seems like there's going to be drama and an actual plot. Production was also really good, which was never really a problem with PA Works' stuff. Based on the premise, I wasn't expecting much going in, but I'm really looking forward to it now.

Agreed, on both counts. I wonder if I'll keep up with Nichijou - I don't care about any of the characters, yet (which I did immediately for Azumanga Daioh), but the randomness and the animation quality kept me interested.

Hanasaku Iroha, in just one episode, created lots and lots of plot possibilities. I wouldn't say I enjoyed it (I just felt to frustrated for the protagonist), but it was well done and I'm at least intrigued.

[MasterDias]

Dog Days: It wasn't bad, but fairly unremarkable, at least for a first episode.
But how seriously am I supposed to take this?

Tiger & Bunny: Well, that was certainly...something. Half of the episode was a long action sequence. Although, the CG felt sort of awkward to me, which is a bit surprising as I thought Sunrise generally did it better than that.
The sheer amount of product placement is pretty over-the-top and hilarious.

Hana Saku Iroha: Man, this show has very impressive scenery/backgrounds. Clearly P.A. Works is going all out for this. It has a neat setting, and the main character is pretty likable. This is going to be 26 episodes which seems unusual for an original slice-of-life/drama.

X-Men: Eh, what the heck? I gave this a shot. Not bad at all actually. Certainly seems like it's the best of the Marvel/Madhouse anime so far. They started out with the end of their version of the Dark Pheonix saga and then time jumped a year later. The episode was mostly setup but it has the potential to be interesting at least. X-Men fans should be happy with it.


Also, it appears Crunchyroll picked up Steins Gate. I'm assuming the last box is Blue Exorcist since that is the final title on the original app leak. But I don't know if there is some sort of hold up with Aniplex or what.

[Mr. Hat'n'Clogs]

Also, it appears Crunchyroll picked up Steins Gate. I'm assuming the last box is Blue Exorcist since that is the final title on the original app leak. But I don't know if there is some sort of hold up with Aniplex or what.

What about AnoHana? I am a little confused about what's happening with that.

Also, you rich people with your Crunchyroll subscriptions. Looks like I'll have to wait a week before I can comment on all the stuff that's already old news.

[mechana2015]

Looks like i need to start scanning CR for new shows in about a week...

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Tiger and Bunny had a fun first episode. Very different feel...sort of The Incredibles meets mXc. Quite funny. I liked it a lot. There are gobs of of potential for this show and its characters, and I will totally stick with it if the quality remains on this level. Also, it seems like Sunrise had foreign audiences in mind at the planning stage of this show (not that they are neglecting domestic interests...though there are elements of both, the show just seems more DC Comics than Super Sentai), which goes against the conventional e-wisdom.

[blkmage]

Tiger & Bunny is certainly interesting. I don't know if it's that they're targetting foreign audiences as much as they're taking on some American concepts, like the comic book hero style sort of thing and the rampant commercialism and shady entertainment world. It's not like it's surprising for Sunrise to be doing this sort of stuff, because, well, they're big enough to.

Also Calbee makes friggin delicious snacks and I think it's hilarious that USTREAM becomes big enough in the world of the future that they can sponsor "athletes".

[TWWK]

Knowing nothing about it, I randomly decided to watch Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai yesterday. I stopped three minutes in, thinking it was so awful. Then, I decided to give it a little more time, and stopped again after 2 more minutes. Then I read a summary preview of the show that intrigued me, so I started again. After a full seven minutes of the first episode, however, I quit for good. Horrible - bad characters, bad writing, uninspired character design, and language and actions that I found distracting and gross.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

I don't know if it's that they're targetting foreign audiences as much as they're taking on some American concepts, like the comic book hero style sort of thing and the rampant commercialism and shady entertainment world.

The argument that it's purely a stylistic choice is, I think, undercut by the "data" (not that I have any]Or the Gonzo shinanigans.[/s] No, those were just bad shows...

*EDIT - I guess this doesn't really mean that you're off base, but I just find it weird that Sunrise would do something like this now with only the domestic market in mind. Since the industry isn't necessarily riding high, it seems like a rather good time to experiment with a different approach for a different market.

There is just so much in Tiger and Bunny for the Western viewer to latch on to that I tend to think it is not coincidence.

The Cartoon Network probbly could've gotten a solid afternoon number from Tiger and Bunny + Heroman + Iron Man.

[blkmage]

Well, there's the fact that the in-show advertising is exclusively Japanese, which makes it incredibly strange if they wanted Americans to go and buy Pepsi NEX or Calbee shrimp crackers (because they won't be able to find any). And I doubt advertisers would want to advertise to an audience that can't buy any of their products.

Shows that traditionally incorporate Western concepts do not sell well because they were anime trying to appeal to Western tastes, which is silly, because Western audiences don't watch anime for Western things. The difference here is that it's not trying to appeal to Western audiences, but it is about concepts found in Western media.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Well, there's the fact that the in-show advertising is exclusively Japanese, which makes it incredibly strange if they wanted Americans to go and buy Pepsi NEX or Calbee shrimp crackers (because they won't be able to find any). And I doubt advertisers would want to advertise to an audience that can't buy any of their products.

Theory: You could just see the Japanese logos as placeholders for whatever the licensors wanted to advertise. If one looks at this element of the show as "rampant commericlaism as such" rather than "rampant Japanese advertising,"then it starts to look like something with broader appeal. Maybe it's a universal concept that is concretely particularized for whatever market it is in?

The difference here is that it's not trying to appeal to Western audiences, but it is about concepts found in Western media.

So, this is a salient point (though, to be fair, we aren't in Sunrise's collective head). Having said that, I do believe TnB is a show that has the potential to do very well in R1 land because of the concepts you describe, regardless of whether that was the intent of Sunrise.

*EDIT Hang on a sec...

Shows that traditionally incorporate Western concepts do not sell well because they were anime trying to appeal to Western tastes, which is silly, because Western audiences don't watch anime for Western things.

BTW, Spike Spiegel and Vash the Stampedel beg to differ =) Shows with a Western flavor or with a broader-base appeal than the Japanese otaku market have sold well to Western audiences (see Baccano again). My point was that these sorts of shows haven't fared quite as well in Glorious Nippon. Maybe the hardcore market over here isn't as apt to buy Westerny shows, but it's just empirically true that the Animatrix has sold more units than Air+Clannad+Kanon, and this will probably not change.

I think it's the Japanese who don't watch anime for Western themes/concepts/ideas, whereas Western audiences can roll w/ Cowboy Bebop and K-On. If that is the case, then why would Sunrise be incorporating such elements into its show if it only has the domestic market in mind?

[blkmage]

Again, Sunrise isn't incorporating Western elements, because the entire show is about that. And Cowboy Bebop and Trigun seem to reinforce my point, which is that the Japanese are not interested in shows that simply have in some Americanized elements.

And no, Western fans do not watch anime for Western themes. If they do, they're dumb because it's silly goosery to expect another culture to consistently produce works that adhere to another culture's worldview. And in that case, I'd argue that those fans are not actually interested in anime in general. In most cases, those shows are many peoples' first exposure to the medium. That, to me, doesn't indicate that they're searching through anime for more Western elements.

About advertising, I was referring more to the fact that the things that are advertised are actually real things and that the in-world advertising is actually supposed to be real-world advertising. Pepsi NEX is a real thing and they're not just including it in the show for realism's sake: they are advertising to the audience. It's extremely blatant product placement, which is something American audiences won't recognize, because they're not familiar with those brands or products.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Let me see if I understand:

Tiger and Bunny is (1) a Japanese take on Western cultural elements, using them outside of their native culture's structures.

Cowboy Bebop, Trigun and Outlaw Star (for example) are (2) the Japanese trying to operate within a foreign cultural framework in order to tell a story.

Japanese anime fans are more likely to spend money on (1) and stuff related to it, while neither they nor most Western anime fans are interested in (2).

If this is your position, I think it's largely a fair one (except lots of people here loved Bebop/Trigun/Outlaw).

However, I do think that anime do exist that aren't so self-referentially rooted in Japanese-ness and, thus, appeal to a broader audience. I'm not saying that creators of such anime are consciously setting out to write something from a different cultural perspective than their own; however, I do think that studios are quite capable of intentionally making something that is accessible to markets other than their own while still being authentically Japanese animation. I think Tiger and Bunny probably falls into this category.

Probably, Western themes was a category mistake for me. I should have said something like, "TnB seems like a title w/ a lot of mass-market appeal and should sell well in R1 land (if marketed/released well)."

Also, since we are talking about markets on a larger scale, I want to say a word about this:

And no, Western fans do not watch anime for Western themes. If they do, they're dumb because it's silly goosery to expect another culture to consistently produce works that adhere to another culture's worldview.

I don't think most ordinary people watch anime to immerse themselves in a worldview; they watch it because it's entertaining. Meta-narratives don't even figure into the equation for most purchasers of anime DVDs. Instead, guns, s'plosions, fan service, etc are the big factors.

That, to me, doesn't indicate that they're searching through anime for more Western elements.

Let's alter "Westenr elements" to be "accessible shows that appeal to more than just the hardocre, super-knowledgeable fanbase. So, yeah, there are people who only have an anime shelf full of Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo, Trigun, Akira, The Animatrix, Halo Legends, etc. They (being the mass market) look for shows that do have mass-market appeal and don't require extensive familiarity with the anime genre or Japanese culture. Audiences that have to work hard are destined to be small.

Whether these kinds of "broad-base" shows push Western or Eastern ideas is probably largely incidental to Joe Schmoe Best Buy shopper, while ninjas, tanks, robots, etc are more important.

I'd argue that those fans are not actually interested in anime in general

I think to imply that these people (read, most people that buy anime) are not fans is a bit harsh. Certainly, it's more difficult to be this sort of fan now than in the 90s and early 00s due to the changing nature of the product.

How do we always end up having these discussions? I think we're essentially on the same page now w/ semantic differences and rabbit trails remaining.

...Tiger and Bunny was cool!

[blkmage]

That's a fair assessment.

I don't see what's wrong in distinguishing people who only enjoy anime that has heavy Western appeal, because they're definitely not interested in the medium as a whole. There's nothing wrong with that, but they're kidding themselves if they think the medium at large resembles anything like their favourite shows.

[blkmage]

Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa Nai: I'd forgotten what blatant fanservice actually looked like.

Steins;Gate: Nitro+/5pb sure like their delusional protagonists. Well, at least it's started off more promisingly than the Chaos;Head anime.