With Christmas and the end of the world (no relation) behind us, 2013 approaches at a breakneck pace, heralding the coming of the winter anime season. 2012 has passed by rapidly, and I for one feel like it was only yesterday that I first started writing for RC! Winter has long been one of the less active seasons for anime; just as the trees are devoid of leaves, the anime charts are… relatively less densely populated. Well that was a terrible analogy, especially when we have 31 previews for you to peruse! This seems to be a season of shorts, and from all manner of genres, from Yamakan’s anime-saving (just kidding!) Senyu., to the weird and wacky gdgd Fairies 2. It’s looking pretty good for adaptations too, with the popular 2channel-birthed fantasy light novel Maoyuu Maou Yuusha, as well as the fantasy romantic comedy Sasami-san@Ganbaranai as handled by SHAFT! On the sequel front, we have a long-awaited continuation in D.C. III ~Da Capo III~ – returning after a whole five years of absence – along with a fourth season of Minami-ke and second seasons of the surprise hit Chihayafuru, the ever hilarious Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, and the singing and dancing sci-fi original AKB0048. As for originals, we could well be in for a treat with KyoAni’s Tamako Market. This winter proved almost as busy as our fall preview, so continuing in last season’s trend, we’ve brought on a whole seven writers to give you a glimpse of what to expect! Have a look around, see if anything catches your fancy, and get fired up!

As a quick reminder, each entry is divided into two paragraphs:

As with last season, we’re bringing back our Expectation Levels in an attempt to help you decide what to watch based on how excited we are about each of the individual shows. For more on this, including our definition of each level, check out the overall impressions section at the very bottom. We’ve also included a list of all shows organized by expectation level, just to make things easier.

Disclaimer: past season previews were done by a single writer, Divine. Unfortunately, we’re not quite as badass as him (I once heard he single-handedly fought off a pack of giant wolves, all while working on the season preview), but by forming an invincible gattai of multiple writers, we hope to be able to come close to his prowess in providing high-quality and objective impressions of each upcoming show. Similar to what Divine did in the past, we will also try to identify what appeals to us in each series, in hopes that it will help you determine if it coincides with your tastes.

This season, we expanded our number of preview writers from five to seven to better withstand any potential wolf attacks. Each of these seven was chosen for the taste and anime watching experience we felt would bring the best possible previews to the table. Those writers are: BakaMochi, Moomba (that’s me!), Stereoman, Stilts, verdant, Zanibas, and Zephyr!

By no means does this list reflect every single anime series that is going to air, though it’s meant to be as comprehensive as possible. Shows that stray far from the anime norm or are deemed oriented towards younger children are omitted, so check out MOON PHASE for a complete listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air times, and Fansub Wiki’s page for a tentative look on who’s subbing what.

As a final thought before we get to the previews themselves, I’d like to take a moment to thank all those who helped to put this beast of a post together. Where Divine managed alone, it took eight of us working in concert to get the job done, and even then we still lost a few to those hungry wolves! (I’m sure your leg will heal, Zephyr!) Aside from the aforementioned preview writers, here’s what everyone did to help out:

So thanks everyone for working hard! With the Best of Anime post on the horizon and the 12 Days of Anime posts behind us, it’s been a pretty busy month, and things would’ve been even more hectic if none of you were around!

Technical Note: the list is ordered by the date and time that the shows premiere. The links in the schedule will take you to a series’ corresponding entry and the “Top” links on the right will bring you back. You can also use the back/forward buttons in your browser to jump between links you’ve clicked. All times are given in a 24-hour, relative-day format where times are extended to show which day they belong to. For instance, Friday morning at 1:30AM would become Thursday at 25:30 to show that the episode aired late Thursday night.

* Jump to OVA/Movies.

Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan | 僕の妹は「大阪おかん Top

http://www.imouto-okan.jp/ Animation: Charaction Premiere: December 21, 2012 Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:55 Episodes: 12 Station: BS Asahi Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts Based on the popular Osaka Okan Rule (Osaka Momma Rules), this short, 5 minutes per episode flash anime provides a tongue-in-cheek guide to dealing with people from Osaka. It stars older brother Kyousuke (Shiraishi Ryoko), who has been living apart from his younger sister Namika (Asumi Kana) for ten years. Kyousuke is excited about living with Namika again, only to find out that she’s turned into an energetic tsundere Osaka girl in the intervening years! Namika’s classmate Kaede (Iguchi Yuka) rounds out the cast. Ah, I’ve been waiting for this since I started writing previews – the chance to legitimately invoke a trope in one of these posts! Have you ever heard of The Idiot From Osaka? (trope!) Well that’s what this tongue-in-cheek comedy is about: a normal guy dealing with his suddenly very Osakan little sister. Unfortunately, this is a trope that has fallen into cliché, and isn’t one that is liable to resonate with audiences outside of Japan anyway. After all, how many of us have met a person from Osaka and will go “Haha, that’s funny because they are so like that!”? In addition there’s the fact that this is a series of 5 minute long flash shorts, meaning the animation quality isn’t at the glorious heights to which we have become accustomed to. On the plus side, the seiyuu cast is filled with seasoned pros, and some of my favorite ones at that. The bottom line is that unless you’ve been to Osaka, you probably won’t “get” this show’s humor. If you have, then definitely give this one a shot, but seeing as I’ve never had the pleasure of touring Osaka, I’ll be sitting this one out. Watching This: No one yet Expectation Level: Low

Show Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Boku_no_Imouto_wa_Osaka_Okan_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Boku_no_Imouto_wa_Osaka_Okan_PV1.jpg 480 270] Boku no Imouto wa Osaka Okan Promotional Video #1 (0:15)

Show Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Puchimasu_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Puchimasu_PV1.jpg 480 270] Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster Promotional Video #1 (2:17)

Yama no Susume | ヤマノススメ Top

http://www.yamanosusume.com/ Animation: 8bit Premiere: January 2, 2013 Genre: Slice of Life, Adventure, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:30 Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Bakamochi Because we can never have too much of cute girls doing cute things, 8bit sets out to adapt Siro’s Yama no Susume. This is the story of two childhood friends Aoi (Iguchi Yuka) and Hinata (Asumi Kana) who decide to dabble in mountaineering to relive the beautiful sunrise they saw at the mountain peak when they were young. But there’s a catch: Aoi is acrophobic. They are joined by their friends Saitou Kaede (Hikasa Youko) and Kokona (Ogura Yui). Clocking in at five minutes, I don’t know what the series expects to accomplish other than (hopefully) boost manga sales. With the source material being only one volume long, there’s not much to spin a story out of. But hey – cute girls, scenery porn, and the likes of Ogura Yui and Iguchi Yuka doing what they do best? I’m sure the show will have no problem finding its audience. Studio 8bit, who worked on Aquarion EVOL and Infinite Stratos, have proven they can churn out decent work though, so there’s hope for Yama no Susume yet. So why not give it a watch? The worst thing that can happen is that you waste five minutes of your time looking at pretty mountain scenery and cutely designed girls. Watching This: Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Yama no Susume Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Yama_no_Susume_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Yama_no_Susume_PV1.jpg 480 270] Yama no Susume Promotional Video #1 (1:34)

Mangirl! | まんがーる! Top

http://www.mangirl.jp/ Animation: Dogakobo Premiere: January 2, 2013 Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9):Wednesdays at 25:35 Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Verdant Contrary to the title, this is not a show about a half-man, half-girl… although that would not be too surprising considering the weird premises found in anime. Mangirl! is actually the animated adaptation of Tamaoka Kagari’s 4-koma manga starring “Japan’s cutest manga editors”, consisting of editor-in-chief Sasayama Hana (Miyamoto Kanako) and her team of assistant editors Haraki Tsugumi (Otaka Moemi), Nishijima Ringo (Ohashi Ayaka), and Torii Aki (Komagata Yuri). The story follows them as they try to take their new manga magazine to number one with zero experience in the field. It takes a certain amount of courage, confidence, and foolhardiness (okay maybe a lot of foolhardiness) to undertake a new project without any experience at all, but that doesn’t faze the girls one bit as what they might lack in experience, they make up for with hard work, dedication, and plenty of comedy. At first glance, it’s hard to not compare Mangirl! to Bakuman., with the major differences being a cast full of moe girls designed by Yasu and a focus more on the editing side rather than the mangaka side. However, with a runtime of only five minutes per episode, chances are anime studio Dogakobo’s (YuriYuri) adaptation will focus more on quick hitting comedy rather than the heartwarming moments and behind-the-scenes look at the manga world that Bakuman. is known for. Hopefully, director Nakanishi Nobuaki (Shin Koihime†Musou) will channel YuruYuri-style hijinks along with insights into the manga magazine industry, so if this comedic style sounds right down your alley, you should definitely tune in. Watching This: Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Ai Mai Mi | あいまいみー Top

http://www.takeshobo.co.jp/sp/tv_aimaimi/ Animation: Seven Premiere: January 3, 2013 Genre: Comedy, School Life Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 23:00 Episodes: 13 Station: AT-X, TV Saitama (TVS) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts An adaptation of the 4koma manga of the same name, Ai Mai Mi follows four girls in a manga club – the titular Ai (Ootsubo Yuka), Mai (Uchida Aya), and Mii (Uchida Maaya), along with Ponoka-senpai (Kayano Ai) – as they fight evil alien invaders, face off against their rivals at tournaments, and deal with other strange situations. Oh, and they also occasionally draw manga. Absurd comedy abounds as the story follows the antics of these four girls. I’m not going to lie to you – this looks like a pretty low-budget affair. Check out the promo section below if you want to see for yourself, but the animation is decidedly rough. Looking at it, I almost felt like I was watching one of the old Cartoon Network shows I watched as a lad, only this one would be hard pressed to be as awesome as shows like Johnny Bravo (though to be fair, most things would). Seiyuu-wise we have a solid showing, with the cast full of newer faces who have been turning in consistently good-to-great performances since their debuts. On the production side, things are dicey once again – I haven’t heard of this Imazaki Itsuki chap who is director, writer, and damn near everything else, and Studio Seven hasn’t done anything of particular note. That said, all of these potential shortcomings can be forgiven if the jokes are good, as they generally were with Seven’s short-form work, Recorder to Randoseru. If absurd comedy is your thing, go ahead and give this one a shot. I might check out an episode or two, but I won’t be too surprised if this comedy bomb ends up being a dud. Watching This: Stilts Expectation Level: Low

Show Ai Mai Mi Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ai_Mai_Mi_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ai_Mai_Mi_PV1.jpg 480 270] Ai Mai Mi Promotional Video #1 (0:30)

Cuticle Tantei Inaba | キューティクル探偵因幡 Top

http://www.cdinaba.com/ Animation: Zexcs Premiere: January 4, 2013 Genre: Action, Mystery, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 23:30 Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Bakamochi Zexcs presents the adaptation of Mochi’s (no, not me) Cuticle Tantei Inaba, a story about a werewolf detective named Inaba Hiroshi (Suwabe Junichi) who has an extreme hair fetish. Although formerly employed by the police, Inaba now runs his own investigative agency with his two assistants: sadistic trap Sasaki Yuuta (Shimoda Asami), and “sensible” part-timer Nozaki Kei (Irino Miyu). Often roped into helping the police by his former partner Ogino Kunihara (Morikawa Toshiyuki), Inaba finds himself suckered into assisting in the capture of Don Valentino (Ookawa Tohru) – a nefarious criminal with a literal taste for money. To be honest, I only decided to preview this show based on the promo image featuring Inaba, and after reading what little was available of the manga, the main draw is still Inaba. Suwabe is pretty much a pitch-perfect casting for him, so in the character department, I’m looking forward to the titular hero the most. I’m not entirely sure what to make of the direction/atmosphere of the series though, as one chapter and one PV really isn’t enough to form any concrete opinions. The first chapter showcased some zany interactions akin to Binbougami ga!, with situational gags that played off character traits such as Yuuta’s sadism and Inaba’s hair fetish. With a cast that all seems to be missing a couple screws one way or the other, Cuticle Tantei Inaba seems like a harmlessly fun show, so I’ll definitely be checking it out. For those who enjoyed the over-the-top interactions in Binbougami ga!, give this series a watch. Watching This: BakaMochi, Guardian Enzo, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Cuticle Tantei Inaba Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Cuticle_Tantei_Inaba_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Cuticle_Tantei_Inaba_PV1.jpg 480 270] Cuticle Tantei Inaba Promotional Video #1 (1:30)

Maoyuu Maou Yuusha | まおゆう魔王勇者 Top

http://maoyu.jp/ Animation: ARMS Premiere: January 4, 2013 Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:00 Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Moomba ”Become mine, hero!” Delivered by Demon Queen (Koshimizu Ami), these are the lines which open Maoyuu Maou Yuusha and shape everything that’s to come. ARMS brings us this adaption of Touno Mamare’s brilliantly thought-provoking novel, a work originally born from a 2chan thread which also spawned several manga adaptations and even a drama CD. Would killing the leader of the demons truly end the war? Or is there a better way? What is good and evil and who gets to define these standards? With her vast intellect and economic prowess, Demon Queen shows Hero (Fukuyama Jun) the truth: such a simple fantasy conclusion would never end the war. War is profitable, and while profits exist, so will those who strive for them. It is here that the true journey towards peace begins, with the two joining forces to bring it about not through death and destruction, but through economics, diplomacy, and politics. Maoyuu Maou Yuusha has often been compared to Spice and Wolf, so who better to bring on board for on this adaption than the core staff who made Spice and Wolf such a success? The comparisons are fair: where Spice and Wolf deals mostly with microeconomics, Maoyuu focuses on macroeconomics. They even share their two lead seiyuu! But at the same time, their differences are both numerous and large. It’s not all economics after all, and Maoyuu has the added bonus of deconstructing various traditional fantasy tropes while simultaneously parodying the likes of Dragon Quest. Demon Queen is also extremely genre savvy, and together with her entourage, we move through a sort of accelerated history as they work to improve conditions and find a way to end the war. There’s much potential for spectacular battles – things don’t always go to plan! I have but one concern, that being the choice of studio. For the most part, I have nothing against ARMS – I even enjoyed Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls quite a bit. However, given their history, they’re certainly not the studio I would’ve expected to pick up a series like Maoyuu Maou Yuusha. On the flip side of the coin, if the PVs are anything to go by, the choice of the relatively unknown Hama Takeshi for the soundtrack is certainly a solid one. This may not be a series for everyone, but for fantasy fans, it should be a must! Watching This: Asobi, Moomba, Stereoman, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: High

Show Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Maoyuu_Maou_Yuusha_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Maoyuu_Maou_Yuusha_PV1.jpg 480 270] Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Promotional Video #1 (2:30) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Maoyuu_Maou_Yuusha_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Maoyuu_Maou_Yuusha_PV2.jpg 480 270] Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Promotional Video #2 (1:14)

D.C. III ~Da Capo III~ | D.C.III ~ダ・カーポIII~ Top

http://www.hatsunejima.com/ Animation: Kazami Gakuen Kōshiki Dōga-bu Premiere: January 5, 2013 Genre: Romance, Fantasy, School Life Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 22:00 Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Zanibas Many decades have passed since the events of Da Capo II SS. With the disappearance of the undying Sakura Tree and the last appearance of Yoshino Sakura, life (and the seasons) have normalized around Hatsunejima. The paranormal is a thing of the past…until now. One winter, the sakura trees suddenly bloom, just as all the members of Kazami Gakuen’s newspaper club receive a mysterious text message dating back to 1951. Morizono Rikka (Nitta Emi), director of the club, seeks to solve both of these mysteries, calling upon her clubmates to help investigate. Those involved include former school newspaper owner Yoshino Kiyotaka (Ono Yuuki), the clumsy Hinomoto Aoi (Kaiho Erika), Kiyotaka’s doting cousin Yoshino Charles (Miyazaki Ui), Kiyokata’s “sister” Katsuragi Himeno (Sasaki Mikoi), and the smart-yet-awkward Rukawa Sara (Ousaki Chiyo). Together they seek to discover Hatsunejima’s past, hoping it will shed light on the weird phenomena that are affecting the present day. Generally, the Da Capo anime series has had major ups and downs. There have been polarized reactions towards the first halves of both D.C. I and II, but generally positive ones towards the second halves. Studio feel. has passed on production to Kazami Gakuen Koushiki Douga-bu, a completely new animation group. Though risky to dedicate animation of a popular franchise to a newcomer, I have hopes that they will do justice to the series with their debut. Two new seiyuu, Ousaki Chiyo and Kaiho Erika, are also taking up main roles, meaning fresh (and hopefully good!) voices. While the anime’s quality is uncertain with these new staff members and seiyuu, the general trend of Da Capo signifies improvement. If you’ve seen the first four seasons, I would definitely check out the first few episodes at the very least – it looks like the Da Capo franchise will reinvent itself this season. For everyone else, if melodrama and contemporary supernatural themes are your cup of tea, this series should not disappoint. Watching This: Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Top

俺の彼女と幼なじみが修羅場すぎる

http://www.oreshura.net/ Animation: A-1 Pictures Premiere: January 5, 2013 Genre: Comedy, School Life, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:00 Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts Studious high school student Kidou Eita (Ohsaka Ryota) hates anything to do with love. Not just because of his parents’ divorce – though that’s certainly part of it – but because he has a goal in mind: to be accepted into the National University School of Medicine. And for that, he needs no distractions! That’s all well and good, until the beautiful, silver-haired kikokushijo (someone who has returned to Japan after studying abroad) Natsukawa Masuzu (Tamura Yukari) confesses her love for him! Now Eita has a girlfriend along with a very annoyed childhood friend in Harusaki Chiwa (Akasaki Chinatsu), who is not going to give up without a fight. Add in two more girls infatuated with Eita – and a side of Masuzu that most people don’t see – and suddenly this anti-romance boy is up to his neck in love. A harem romcom lives or dies on the strength of its haremettes, and OreShura’s can hold their own. Masuzu is a fun leading lady, with her theatrical tendencies and her darkly entertaining “true self”, though for me it’s all about the perky, loyal, and super cute osananajimi Chiwawa. There are other girls as well, but most of the humor early on comes from typical harem antics + Masuzu and Chiwa fighting, so if you don’t like these two then you may be out of luck. Staff-wise, A-1 Pictures is at the helm, and after a stellar year and some luxurious looking promos, I have no worries there. The seiyuu cast is respectable as well, though I can’t help but wonder if some were miscast…Chiwa’s seiyuu in particular struck me as an odd choice, though Yukarin as Masuzu is an even better choice than I dared to hope for. In short, if you’re looking for a well-done harem comedy, this one ought to do the trick. Bonus: if you learned what “chuunibyou” means from watching Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, that will come in handy. I’m not telling why, though…you’ll have to tune in to find out! Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Moomba, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_PV1.jpg 480 270] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Promotional Video #1 (1:44) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM1_OA_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM1_OA_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru On Air Commercial (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM1_WEB_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM1_WEB_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Web Commercial (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Ai_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Ai_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Commercial – Ai ver (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Chiwa_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Chiwa_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Commercial – Chiwa ver (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Himeka_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Himeka_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Commercial – Himeka ver (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Masuzu_ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Ore_no_Kanojo_to_Osananajimi_ga_Shuraba_Sugiru_CM_Masuzu_ver.jpg 355 200] Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Commercial – Masuzu ver (0:15)

AKB0048 Next Stage Top

http://akb0048.jp/ Animation: Satelight Premiere: January 5, 2013 Genre: Sci-Fi, Idols Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 25:00 Episodes: Station: TV Kanagawa (tvk) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Zephyr Following an interplanetary war in the 21st century, humanity is forced to leave Earth and settle on other planets. In order to curtail rebellions against the totalitarian rule that developed on many of these planets, various methods of entertainment became either heavily regulated or outright banned. This ultimately gave rise to a group of idols known as AKB0048, who — armed with their songs and fighting prowess — perform guerrilla concerts to fight against the ban and bring back entertainment. The anime tells their story: one about changing the world with music and the struggles of a new group of hopefuls as they attempt to become the next generation of AKB0048. Based on the extremely popular AKB48 idol group in Japan, a vast majority of the cast are voiced by actual members and supplemented by the likes of Sawashiro Miyuki and Horie Yui. Led by Kawamori Shoji (Macross Frontier), AKB0048’s first season was (at least to me) one of the most underappreciated series of the year. Combining a ridiculous premise with over-the-top action, it admittedly required a bit of suspension of disbelief at some points, but that’s also exactly what made the series entertaining to watch. I mean, what other show has microphone lightsaber wielding idols fighting off the military on hoverboards!? To top it off, AKB0048 had one of the best soundtracks of the season, which only served to enhance the magic that Kawamori’s known for. With all of the original staff returning for this sequel, AKB0048’s Next Stage should definitely be a series to look out for this coming season. However, I will say that this is not a series for everyone. If you’re someone who prefers more realistic series that don’t require a suspension of belief to get into, this may not be the show for you. But for those who are fans of Japanese music, or shows of the idol or Sci-Fi genres, you’ll find a lot to like here. Be sure to watch the first season first though! Watching This: Asobi, BakaMochi, Moomba, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Show AKB0048 Next Stage Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/AKB0048_Next_Stage_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/AKB0048_Next_Stage_PV1.jpg 480 270] AKB0048 Next Stage Promotional Video #1 (1:41)

Minami-ke Tadaima | みなみけ ただいま Top

http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/minami-ke/4/ Animation: Feel Premiere: January 5, 2013 Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 25:00 Episodes: 13 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts Minami-ke follows the everyday lives of the Minami family and their friends. There’s the reliable big sister Minami Haruka (Satou Rina), who takes care of everyone and does all the chores; the mischievous middle sister Minami Kana (Inoue Marina), who loves to play pranks (when she’s not being lazy and useless); and the smart youngest sister Minami Chiaki (Chihara Minori), who has a wicked wit she delivers in her quiet, monotone voice. But that’s not all, because each of them has a bunch of close friends, and the fun really starts when they mix together with the likes of the hyper crossdresser Makoto/”Mako-chan” (Morinaga Rika), the energetically stupid Uchida Yuka (Kitamura Eri), the no-nonsense tomboy Minami Touma (no relation) (Mizuki Nana), and the constantly stripping-and-fantasizing Hosaka (Ono Daisuke). And that’s only the start of it! With the Minami-ke series on its fourth season (+ two OVAs), many of you probably already know whether you like it or not. For the uninitiated, let me just say this – this is honestly one of the funniest slice-of-life comedies I’ve seen. Much of the comedy comes from the large and varied cast of characters, each of whom are interesting in their own way and provide plenty of opportunities for laughs. This is low-key humor – it’s not a series that will send you into peals of laughter, but it never ceases to make me smile or chuckle, as Minami-ke has always had some of the best comedic dialogue in the business. With that said, this series has a history of switching production houses, so the real question is, how does this latest studio, feel. (Kissxsis, Papakiki, Mayo Chiki, Yosuga no Sora), match up? Fortunately, I don’t have to guess here, because a few months ago feel. released the Minami-ke Omatase OVA! Watching it, this is Minami-ke at its finest, more like the first season (i.e. the best one) than the following two. The humor is still spot on, the animation is crisp, and the seiyuu lineup – which has always been phenomenal – has all the old stars returning once again. Also, fanservice haters, have no fear! Though feel. is known for its ecchi series, there’s not a trace of that here. To me, this is a no-brainer – the Minami-ke series has always been a great pure comedy, so I’m happy to have the girls and their friends back for another season. If this even remotely sounds like your kind of thing, I encourage you to join me as well. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun | 八犬伝 -東方発見異聞- Top

http://hakken-den.com/ Animation: Studio DEEN Premiere: January 5, 2013 Genre: Action, Fantasy, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Saturdays at 26:58 Episodes: 13 Station: MBS Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Bakamochi Studio DEEN is adapting Abe Miyuki’s “shoujo” title Hakkenden – Touhou Hakken Ibun, which centers around Inuzuka Shino (Kakihara Tetsuya), Inukawa Sousuke (Hino Satoshi), Hamaji (Takagaki Ayahi), and the sentient blade “Murasame”, who all happen to be survivors of the tragic burning of Ootsuka village. The three have managed to live a peaceful life for five years, but when the imperial church summons Shino and Sousuke to the capital, everything is about to change… Hmm…I don’t know what to say about Hakkenden. The artwork is certainly very pleasing to the eyes, but it seems very on the fence regarding what it wants to be, genre-wise. I certainly liked what I was reading, but at the same time it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what I like about the series – everything maintains a relative status quo in terms of plot, characters, and artistic technique. There are several things that do stand out, but these elements need time to be fleshed out a little more, which wasn’t possible with the amount of material I could read. But Hakkenden is certainly inoffensive and an easy read, so I suspect it’ll be one of those adaptations that are perfect to pass the time. Once the plot kicks into gear the series has the potential to be pretty good, so it shouldn’t be written off just yet. Watching This: BakaMochi, Stereoman Expectation Level: Niche

Show Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Hakkenden_Touhou_Hakken_Ibun_PV.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Hakkenden_Touhou_Hakken_Ibun_PV.jpg 480 270] Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun Promotional Video (1:01) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Hakkenden_Touhou_Hakken_Ibun_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Hakkenden_Touhou_Hakken_Ibun_PV1.jpg 480 270] Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun Promotional Video #1 (1:13)

Senran Kagura | 閃乱カグラ Top

http://senran.tv/ Animation: Artland Premiere: January 6, 2013 Genre: Action, Ecchi, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 20:30 Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Moomba Artland brings us an adaption of the side-scrolling action game for Nintendo 3DS by Marvelous AQL. Ninjas were once highly skilled individuals who worked for the country’s benefit from the shadows. Over time, they began to fade from existence, but in the world of Senran Kagura, their necessity has not vanished even in the present day. There are those who would employ ninjas for nefarious purposes, so the government founded Hanzou Academy in order to train kunoichi in secret to combat these wrongdoers. We follow five students of this academy: Ikaruga (Imai Asami), the collected and formal class rep you never want to make angry; Katsuragi (Kobayashi Yuu), a tomboy who acts before thinking; the energetic and hardworking Asuka (Harada Hitomi); the stoic Yagyuu (Mizuhashi Kaori) who doesn’t take any nonsense; and the weak and clumsy but intelligent Hibari (Iguchi Yuka). How often do you see a franchise try to sell itself entirely on ‘dancing breasts’? Not very often, that’s for sure! But then, Senran Kagura is the game that was originally conceived based on the idea that the thing people would most want to see using the Nintendo 3DS’ 3D capabilities would be giant anime boobs! In the words of Takaki Kenichirou, producer and original creator, ‘Tits are life, ass is hometown.’ The PV alone showcases a string of bouncing breasts, clothing damage, and scantily clad ninjas, so it’s fairly easy to guess what to expect. Watanabe Takashi should be familiar as the director of shows such as Ikkitousen and FREEZING, and like those Senran Kagura has a similar flair and boasts a host of great female seiyuu. I wouldn’t expect an overly complex plot, but for those seeking a combination of ecchi, comedy, and combat (which is actually quite good – seriously, check out those promos!), Senran Kagura will undoubtedly be one to deliver. Watching This: Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Senran Kagura Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV1.jpg 480 270] Senran Kagura Promotional Video #1 (1:07) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV2.jpg 355 200] Senran Kagura Promotional Video #2 (2:10) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV3.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Senran_Kagura_PV3.jpg 355 200] Senran Kagura Promotional Video #3 (0:14)

Love Live! School Idol Project | ラブライブ！School idol project Top

http://www.lovelive-anime.jp/ Animation: Sunrise Premiere: January 6, 2013 Genre: Music, School Life Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 22:00 Episodes: Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts Do you like idols? Well how about nine of them? Love Live! School Idol Project is the story of a high school stuck between Tokyo’s Akihabara, Kanda, and Jinbocho neighborhoods, and it is about to be “streamlined” out of existence. Not willing to sit by while this happens, nine female students become idols in order to boost attendance and save their school! Think of this show like an (un)holy combination of IDOLM@STER, Natsuiro Kiseki, and American Idol (or your local equivalent). We’ve got a big group of cute idols voiced by the idol group µ’s (pronounced Muse) – which this anime is obviously trying to promote – so there are your comparisons to the first two shows. As for the third, the interesting part is that fans are going to be allowed to “vote on the future of the fictional idol characters.” I’m not sure if this means they’ll be pitted against one another or the plot will change directions based on the votes, but it adds an interesting dimension to the show…if you live in Japan. For those of us who don’t, we’ll just have to trust the Japanese fans. Other thoughts: Sunrise is producing, and they’ve got plenty of experience with this kind of show, so no worries there. On the staff, that’s more of an unknown – I don’t recognize any of them, but their resumes look respectable, so call that a toss up. As for the seiyuu, I was prepared to call them no-names…but they’re not. They’re not big names either, but you might have heard a few of them before (Suzuko Mimori, Yoshino Nanjo, Sora Tokui, Emi Nitta), even if you don’t necessarily recognize their names. All in all, if you like idols or peppy JPop music, this is an easy choice. If not, I’m not exactly expecting this to break the mold, but hey, I’ve been wrong before. It is an original series after all, so you never know what you’ll get until it starts airing! Watching This: Asobi, Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Love Live! School Idol Project Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_CM1.jpg 480 270] Love Live! School Idol Project Commercial #1 (0:20) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_PV.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_PV.jpg 355 200] Love Live! School Idol Project Promotional Video (1:55) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Love_Live_PV1.jpg 355 200] Love Live! School Idol Project Promotional Video #1 (1:12)

Ishida to Asakura | 石田とあさくら Top

http://www.yte.co.jp/program/ishiasa/ Animation: DAX Production Premiere: January 6, 2013 Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Sundays at 22:27 Episodes: Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList Preview by Zephyr After a run in seinen magazine Young King during 2012, popular pixiv artist Masao’s debut manga will receive an anime adaptation this winter. Revolving around two high school boys – Ishida (Morishima Shuta) and Asakura (Nakamoto Nobuhisa) – this series is a gag comedy about their daily lives and friendship with one another. Asakura aims to become a teacher at an all-girls’ school, while Ishida aims to become a florist with Asakura. Information about the series seems to be lacking in general, but it appears that this will be a series of anime shorts corresponding to the two-page short stories in the manga (of which there are only two volumes). Combined with the fact that the cast is also filled with relatively unknown seiyuu, it becomes admittedly difficult to to have much in terms of expectations for this series. Those who love a good laugh and don’t mind the shortness of the series will probably find something to like here, but it seems likely that there will be a multitude of other worthwhile series to watch this coming season. Watching This: Moomba, Zanibas Expectation Level: Low

AMNESIA Top

http://www.anime-amnesia.com/ Animation: Brains Base Premiere: January 7, 2013 Genre: Romance, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 23:30 Episodes: 12 Station: AT-X Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Bakamochi The requisite otome game adaptation of the season is coming from Brains Base this time, in the form of Otomate’s AMNESIA. Following the story of a heroine (Nazuka Kaori) who suddenly wakes up one morning with no memories whatsoever, the series chronicles her efforts to remember who she is with the help of a spirit named “Orion” (Igarashi Hiromi) while coming face to face with a boyfriend she knows nothing about. As if that isn’t difficult enough, she must make sure no one realizes her predicament. Despite the fact series of this ilk are very hit or miss, I’m pretty intrigued by AMNESIA’s premise. I’ve never played the game, but poking around on the web, the unique “draw” seems to have been the fact the player could “create” the heroine’s personality depending on which route they were playing and which response they chose. Of course I doubt the system was perfect, but it’s still a very interesting setup. The only problem is, how is this going to carry over into the anime adaptation? The nature of the game doesn’t seem to allow for much crossover between different routes via common events, so I’m left wondering how Brains Base intends to direct the story/romance. In any case, I’ll most likely give this a watch since Hiiro no Kakera has renewed my faith in otome game adaptations. Watching This: Asobi, BakaMochi, Guardian Enzo, Stereoman, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Niche

Show Amnesia Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/AMNESIA_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/AMNESIA_PV1.jpg 480 270] AMNESIA Promotional Video #1 (1:58) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/AMNESIA_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/AMNESIA_PV2.jpg 480 270] AMNESIA Promotional Video #2 (1:28)

Line Offline Salaryman | LINE OFFLINE サラリーマン Top

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/line-anime/ Animation: Premiere: January 7, 2013 Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Mondays at 25:30 Episodes: Station: TV Tokyo (TX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Stilts Coming at us from net services company NHN Japan’s Line voice-chat/messaging app, we have a series of TV anime shorts called Line Offline Salaryman. Based on Line’s in-app “sticker” mascots, this anime stars an idiosyncratic crew of workers at the fictional Line Corporation. Characters include the narcissistic president’s son James, the constantly absent (but mysteriously productive) subsection head Moon, the quiet but kindhearted Brown, and the eternally dieting Connie. There’s no escaping it – this is an anime based on some random corporation’s mobile app. You are forgiven if this strikes you as weird – you are not alone! When I first read about this show, it reminded me of the short-lived sitcom Cavemen, the one based on those GEICO television advertisements. The good thing is that while GEICO’s foray into narrative storytelling floundered spectacularly, Line Offline Salaryman doesn’t appear to be going for romance, drama, or anything deep. It’s a series of shorts, each episode lasting for less than five minutes, and what time it has will undoubtedly be spent on humour. There’s also an upside to its unconventional origins – these are characters who were so popular in their own right to spawn this anime + two different manga adaptations, so there must be something to them, right? Though it’s probably just that they’re fun to use in the app, so I’m not sure what my point is. Bottom line is that you don’t lose a lot by giving this short anime a shot, but I’ll understand if you don’t bother. Watching This: No one yet Expectation Level: Low

Show THE UNLIMITED -Hyoubu Kyousuke- Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/THE_UNLIMITED_-Hyoubu_Kyousuke-_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/THE_UNLIMITED_-Hyoubu_Kyousuke-_PV1.jpg 480 270] THE UNLIMITED -Hyoubu Kyousuke- Promotional Video #1 (2:10) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/THE_UNLIMITED_-Hyoubu_Kyousuke-_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/THE_UNLIMITED_-Hyoubu_Kyousuke-_CM1.jpg 480 270] THE UNLIMITED -Hyoubu Kyousuke- Commercial #1 (0:30)

Show Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Bakumatsu_Gijinden_Roman_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Bakumatsu_Gijinden_Roman_PV1.jpg 480 270] Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman Promotional Video #1 (0:57)

Jigoku Youchien | 地獄ようちえん Top

http://jigokuyouchien.com/ Animation: Kasuga Soft Premiere: January 8, 2013 Genre: Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): First Tuesdays every month at 23:00 Episodes: Station: Niconico Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList Preview by Stilts We’ve become used crowdfunding, but what about crowdsourced writing? Well that’s what Kadokawa Shoten is attempting with their new crowdsourced flash anime, Jigoku Youchien. Using characters designed via their 10 Chara Grand Prix contest, the story centers around a school for mischievous demon toddlers. Characters include Sakyuba-chan (Asumi Kana), Kiichi-kun (Ono Yuuki), Yuki-chan (Ookubo Rumi), and Kadokawa Shoten President and CEO Inoue Shinichiro as the Narrator. Each episode will last 12 minutes. This is a strange way to create an anime, so I’d like to go over the reasons why it could work (since I’m sure you’ve already thought of plenty of reasons why it won’t). First of all, the character designs are pretty good. They’re interesting, visually distinct, and really convey the mischievous tone that “Hell Kindergarten” is clearly going for. Secondly, there’s the fact that they’re all kindergartners (stay with me). I don’t know exactly how Kadokawa ran this contest, but it appears like they set up a basic idea (there’s a kindergarten, it’s for demons, etc) before soliciting suggestions. This is good, as is the fact that it’s a comedy – gathering ideas willy-nilly for a plot-based show would have probably yielded an erratic and totally incoherent story, but that’s less of a problem when it’s a plot-light comedy you’re talking about. Lastly, there’s the old standby reason – it’s been done successfully before. Sure, the only example I can think of was a webcomic (MS Paint Adventures), and it did eventually abandon the fan suggestion model when the author decided he wanted to tell a more coherent story, but that doesn’t matter! This is possible, people! …that said, there are certainly a number of reasons why this probably won’t work, enough that I don’t think I need to list them all. Call me a cynic, but while I have faith in the wisdom of the crowd for many things, I’m not sure writing in numbers is one of them. Add onto that the fact that this is a flash anime with 12 minute long episodes, and suddenly expectations have sunk again. Still, I approve of Kadokawa for trying something new, so it might be worth a peek. Who knows, the dawn of crowdsourced writing (well, character design) might be upon us…but eh, probably not. Watching This: Zanibas Expectation Level: Niche

Senyu. | 戦勇。Top

http://senyu.tv/ Animation: Ordet Premiere: January 8, 2013 Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:35 Episodes: Station: TV Tokyo (TX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Moomba Yamakan returns to save anime once more in this series of five-minute shorts adapting the online manga originally written by Haruhara Robinson (and later picked up by Jump Square). First hosted by Niconico Seiga, Senyu. is a little bit of an oddity when compared to mainstream serialized manga, featuring musical accompaniments and sound effects to complement its otherwise static panels. After being sealed for a thousand years by a hero, the demon lord who once terrorized the land returns. Afraid of a resurgence of the chaos once wrought by this demon lord, the King calls for the hero’s descendants in order to fight back, but in order to circumvent the difficulty of finding true descendants, he instead sends forth 75 hero-like individuals. This particular story follows Alba (Shimono Hiro), Hero No. 45, and his appointed monitor, the sadistic Ross (Nakamura Yuuichi), as they go off on their adventure, encountering numerous others including Ruki (Kayano Ai), Foifoi (Suzumura Kenichi), Rudolf (Nakata Jouji) and an as yet unnamed character voiced by Kato Emiri. After boasting that FRACTALE would fix everything that was wrong with anime and failing miserably in this goal, Yamakan finally slinks back into the ring with a series of shorts, despite claiming he’d quit should FRACTALE fail. His participation in this adaption doesn’t faze me – it’s not a series that intends to break new ground or ‘fix’ the genre. The source material leaves me cautiously optimistic – it’s obviously not a work that’s meant to be taken particularly seriously, a frequent failing with certain recent series, and the video game references could potentially be entertaining if handled well. Comedy shorts such as this rarely leave any long-lasting impression, but at the very least watching it through won’t require any large time investments and many of the gags in the first chapters were genuinely funny. If nothing else, JAM Project may just save anime OPs and EDs with their music! Watching This: Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Senyuu. Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Senyu_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Senyu_PV1.jpg 480 270] Senyu. Promotional Video #1 (0:30) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Senyu_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Senyu_PV2.jpg 480 270] Senyu. Promotional Video #2 (0:29)

Tamako Market | たまこまーけっと Top

http://tamakomarket.com/ Animation: Kyoto Animation Premiere: January 9, 2013 Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 24:30 Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Zanibas This winter, Kyoto Animation is releasing one of their rare animes not based on pre-existing material, named Tamako Market. Centered around Tamako Kitashirakawa (Aya Suzaki), a high schooler who works at her family’s mochi shop, the show will explore the various quirks of her daily life. When she’s not practicing at the Baton (not Badminton!) Club or hanging out with her friends and fellow clubmates Midori Tokiwa (Yuuki Kaneko) and Kanna Makino (Nagatsuma Juri), the practical Tamako helps her family out at the mochi store while experimenting with new types of mochi on the side. Of course, other people around the shopping district, such as “The Florist Princess” Kaoru Hanase (Daisuke Ono), or the family who manages Ooji-ya, the rival mochi shop across the street, and whose son Mochizou Ooji (Tamaru Atsushi) has had a crush on Tamako since they were kids, are bound to make Tamako’s daily life more interesting. Simultaneously ordinary and quirky, Tamako’s life is sure to have comedic twists every step of the way through her high school and mochi lives. For those of you who enjoyed K-ON! for its slice of life atmosphere and moe character designs, you’ll probably want to give Tamako Market a try. Along with the usual KyoAni animation team, the K-ON! team of director Naoko Yamada, scriptwriter Reiko Yoshida, and character designer Yukiko Horiguchi are all working on this series. In terms of story and atmosphere, I expect something close to what K-ON! and Nichijou had to offer: cute everyday events with an exaggerated comedic flair. Mochi making and baton twirling may not be of burning interest to many, but it’s definitely a unique combination. In terms of animation, think of an updated K-ON! with influences from recent KyoAni works, such as Hyouka and Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!, where scenes are beautifully fluid (even mochi making looks pretty!). As far as seiyuu go, at this point, it’s up in the air. KyoAni is repeating a trend that worked well with K-ON! and Lucky Star – employing relatively inexperienced seiyuu in the main roles. However, the supporting cast is very experienced, each with many shows under their belt. While seemingly unintuitive, the studio made it work for K-ON! (among others), so there’s definite reason for hope here. All in all, if you’re not terribly turned off by the stereotypical “slice-of-life-with-cute-girls” story, I recommend checking out Tamako Market. It may be easy to dismiss it as another K-ON, but the potential an original work has is great, and with a studio like KyoAni to back it up, it’s worthwhile to see how this shopping district story plays out. Watching This: Asobi, Guardian Enzo, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Tamako Market Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM1.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial #1 (0:14) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM2.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial #2 (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM3.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM3.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial #3 (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM4.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM4.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial #4 (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM_15s.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM_15s.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial (15 seconds) (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM_30s.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Tamako_Market_CM_30s.jpg 355 200] Tamako Market Commercial (30 seconds) (0:30)

GJ-bu (Good Job Club) | GJ部 Top

http://www.ntv.co.jp/gj/ Animation: Dogakobo Premiere: January 9, 2013 Genre: Comedy, School Life Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:29 Episodes: Station: Nippon Television (NTV) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, Wikipedia, syoboi Preview by Stilts You know what a 4koma manga is, right? Well this show is based on a 4koma novel, a collection of short stories where each one is only 4 pages long. GJ-bu stars Shinomiya Kyouya (Shimono Hiro) and his four female classmates, Amatsuka Mao (Uchida Maaya), Amatsuka Megumi (Miyamoto Yume), Bernstein Kirara (Arakawa Chika), and Sumeragi Shion (Mimori Suzuko). As is befitting a series of short stories, the story is that there is no story – GJ-bu consists of a bunch of short vignettes of the high school life of its quirky, moe characters. To be honest, I’m quite intrigued by this series, though I’m having trouble pinpointing exactly why. Let’s go over everything – for one, the character designs are wonderful. They have a soft, cute quality that I really enjoy, as well as the occasional chibi that’s super cute. Another reason is the unique format of the source material. I’m curious whether a “4koma novel” really works, and whether those short stories can then be properly translated into full-length episodes – though to be fair, in adaptation it should be no different than a 4koma manga, so why not? The show’s pedigree is fairly good as well – the seiyuu include pros like Shimono Hiro and rising stars like Uchida Maaya, as well as a lot of young newcomers (seriously, very young… check out those seiyuu pages, people. What is with this trend?). Production studio Dogakobo is another factor I wasn’t initially sure about, but am now optimistic about …they have done a lot of work over the years, including running point on shows like Natsuyuki Rendezvous and Yuruyuri. All in all, it’s hard for me to explain exactly why I’m intrigued about this show since the producers are being so tight-lipped about everything. What I can say is that if you like slice-of-life, cute characters, light comedy, or moe, give this a shot. I know I’ll be watching, if only to figure out what in the hell has got me so intrigued. Watching This: Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Show GJ-bu (Good Job Club) Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/GJ-bu_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/GJ-bu_PV1.jpg 480 270] GJ-bu (Good Job Club) Promotional Video #1 (0:48) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/GJ-bu_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/GJ-bu_PV2.jpg 480 270] GJ-bu (Good Job Club) Promotional Video #2 (1:33)

gdgd Fairies 2 | ぐだぐだふぇありーず(2) Top

http://gdgdfairy.com/index.html Animation: Strawberry Meets Pictures Premiere: January 9, 2013 Genre: Comedy, Improv Airtime (GMT+9): Wednesdays at 25:40 Episodes: 12 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Zanibas Returning for another dose of surreal, ad-libbing comedy, gdgd Fairies (pronounced gu-da-gu-da) is back for a second season! The fairies that just love to chill in their fairy tree house and talk about/do everything that is ridiculous are here with some more improv, for better or worse. Returning are the morbid, serious, yet trolltastic krkr (korokoro, Satomi Akesaka), the gullible and cheerful Meru-chan pkpk (pikupiku, Suzuko Mimori), and genki-girl shrshr (shirushiru, Kaoru Mizuhara). The season will likely follow the same format as the first season: a segment of talking about a random subject, followed by the highly exaggerated gag segment inside the “Mental and Time Room”, and finished off at Afure Lake where the seiyuu ad-lib a dubbing of a silent nonsensical clip. If you don’t mind CG animation and informal acting, then gdgd fairies may be a good dose of comedy for your winter schedule! As I watched the first season, I found that while their initial conversations about random subjects were light on the humor, the series’ true strength lies in its gags and ad-libbing dubs. Satomi Akesaka in particular shines during her ad-lib moments, so for those of you who have followed her work from Mitsodomoe, Softenni, and Milky Holmes, you’ll definitely enjoy her work here. The animation is CG, but that doesn’t hurt the humor. Their nonsensical jokes just make me laugh, as the fairies always think of the most ridiculous settings – such as playing magical shiratori, bungee jumping from space, or my personal favorite, fighting an RPG’s final boss as a townsperson, a pervert, and a masked wrestler who’s past their prime. You can feel that the seiyuu use this time to relax and play around, which reflects in the absolutely hilarious improv gems spread throughout the show. If you’re looking for a break from the standard type of comedy this season and don’t mind a show where the seiyuu sometimes make improv flops, gdgd fairies may be a good choice. It’s possible to jump straight into the second season due to the lack of a plot, but I do recommend watching the first season if you want to get a proper feel for the characters – or rather the seiyuu portraying them. Watching This: Zanibas Expectation Level: Niche

Show gdgd Fairies 2 Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/gdgd_Fairies_2_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/gdgd_Fairies_2_CM1.jpg 480 270] gdgd Fairies 2 Commercial #1 (0:50)

Sasami-san@Ganbaranai | ささみさん@がんばらない Top

http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/sasami/ Animation: SHAFT Premiere: January 10, 2013 Genre: Comedy, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:25 Episodes: 12 Station: TBS Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Moomba After a relatively light year in the wake of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, SHAFT and Shinbo return to bring us an adaption of the fantasy romantic comedy light novel by Akira. Tsukuyomi Sasami (Asumi Kana) is a hikikomori with a complete lack of motivation to do anything whatsoever. Instead, she spends her days watching the outside world via a special tool on her computer. Through this tool, she keeps an eye on her doting brother, Tsukuyomi Kamiomi (Otsuka Houchuu), as he interacts with the three Yamagi sisters, fellow high-school teacher Tsurugi (Saito Chiwa), middle sister Kagami (Hanazawa Kana), and the deceptively young Tama (Nonoka Ai). But not everything is quite as it seems on the surface. My impressions after skimming the first few chapters of the light novel leave me wanting to read more. At first glance, it seems like a run of the mill romantic comedy, albeit handled by SHAFT. This alone would be enough to get me to check it out since I thoroughly enjoy Shinbo’s directing, but the clincher comes from the source material itself. It’s a work befitting a SHAFT adaption – it has that combination of absurdity and atmosphere that really lends itself to Shinbo’s unique style. We have the slightly off-kilter characters (Kamiomi’s face is hidden at all times and Tama looks much older than she truly is, for example), the oddly tantalizing fanservice, and the slightly unusual choice of subject matter. The romcom aspect is merely a surface layer, concealing the true nature of the series – a series in which all of the characters are gods of some sort, with mystical powers to boot. Heck, within the first few chapters, Kamiomi accidentally turns the world into chocolate! This is not your average romcom by any means. With such a great cast and staff, and so much potential for wackiness in the source material, one would be remiss not to check it out! Watching This: Asobi, Guardian Enzo, Moomba, Stereoman, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: High

Show Sasami-san@Ganbaranai Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_CM1.jpg 480 270] Sasami-san@Ganbaranai Commercial #1 (0:29) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_PV1.jpg 355 200] Sasami-san@Ganbaranai Promotional Video #1 (1:07) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Sasami-san_Ganbaranai_PV2.jpg 355 200] Sasami-san@Ganbaranai Promotional Video #2 (1:25)

Show Vividred Operation Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_PV1.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Promotional Video #1 (2:03) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_PV2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_PV2.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Promotional Video #2 (2:47) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM1.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #1 (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM2_15s.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM2_15s.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #2 (15 seconds) (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM2_30s.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM2_30s.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #2 (30 seconds) (0:30) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM3.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM3.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #3 (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM4_Akane_Ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM4_Akane_Ver.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #4 (Akane Ver) (0:15) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM5_Aoi_Ver.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Vividred_Operation_CM5_Aoi_Ver.jpg 355 200] Vividred Operation Commercial #5 (Aoi Ver) (0:15)

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT | 僕は友達が少ない NEXT Top

http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/haganai/ Animation: AIC Build Premiere: January 10, 2013 Genre: Comedy, School Life, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:55 Episodes: Station: TBS Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Zanibas One year has passed since we last saw the members of the Neighbor Club in action, and now they’re revving up for round two! Mikazuki Yozora (Inoue Marina), currently in her short-haired form, is ready to clash with rival Kashiwazaki Sena (Itou Kanae) once again, usually with protagonist Hasegawa Kodoka (Kimura Ryouhei) stuck in the middle. If that weren’t enough, Kodoka also has to deal with the BL-inspired antics of fujoshi-genius Shiguma Rika (Fukuen Misato) and the continual admiration of the maid-trap/man-in-training Kusunoki Yukimura (Yamamoto Nozomi). Finally there’s Kodoka’s gothloli little sister Kobato (Hanazawa Kana), who is generally found butting heads with the Neighbor Club’s advisor, loli-nun Takayama Maria (Iguchi Yuka). The second season will continue to observe this unorthodox group’s exploration of friendship via their signature socially awkward events. The first season’s uncommon perspective on the concept of friendship caught my attention, along with the antics that naturally arise from an awkward set of characters. While the question of what a friend is may be further examined in a more serious setting, it is a pleasure seeing it played with in Haganai, with hilarious results. There lies a certain pleasure in seeing Yozora and Sena constantly butting heads each other, and turning everything into either a competition or a revenge match. The good news is that more fun might be on the way thanks to some staff changes. Original author Yomi Hirasaka and experienced script writer Kurasumi Sunayama (Monster, Romeo x Juliet) are both joining the writing staff, which is a good sign for the dialogue. Toru Kitahata, previously the first season’s assistant director, takes on his first full director position for the second season, and Toshihiro Kohama takes up the role as the new art director. None of these changes stand out as a downgrade – in fact, the staff’s credentials are reassuring for a quality second season. As the all-star cast returns once more with zero changes, the success of the second season heavily relies on the quality of the source material. I look forward to seeing how this well-built team executes the sequel to this well-written romantic comedy. Watching This: Asobi, Guardian Enzo, Moomba, Stereoman, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: High

Show Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Boku_wa_Tomodachi_ga_Sukunai_NEXT_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Boku_wa_Tomodachi_ga_Sukunai_NEXT_CM1.jpg 480 270] Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT Commercial #1 (0:29)

Kotoura-San | 琴浦さん Top

http://www.kotourasan.com/ Animation: AIC Classic Premiere: January 10, 2013 Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Romance Airtime (GMT+9): Thursdays at 26:00 Episodes: 12 Station: CBC Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Verdant With web mangas becoming more and more popular nowadays, it was only a matter of time before a 4-koma with over 7.5 million views was given the green light to become an anime. As another romantic comedy with a school academy setting, enokids’ Kotoura-san needs a fantasy twist to keep things fresh. This comes in the form of the titular character, 15-year-old transfer student Kotoura Haruka (Kanemoto Hisako), who possesses the power to read minds. Unfortunately, it’s more of a curse than a gift, as her ability has caused her traumatic experiences in the past, so as a result she’s closed off her heart. Enter Manabe Yoshihisa (Fukushima Jun), a high school boy who falls for Kotoura (and constantly flusters her with his ecchi thoughts), tsundere social butterfly and Kotoura’s rival in love Moritani Hiyori (Kubo Yurika), and the members of Midorigaoka High School’s ESP Research Club, president Mifune Yuriko (Hanazawa Kana) and vice president Muroto Daichi (Shimono Hiro). Together, they slowly open Kotoura’s heart again as they experience the ups and downs of daily life with a healthy dose of comedy. AIC Classic has a veteran staff working on Kotoura-san in director Ohta Masahiko, Aoshima Takashi handling series composition, and Oosumi Takaharu with the dual duties of character designer and chief animator. All three have had extensive prior experience working on comedies and shows about the daily lives of school girls, and are essentially reprising the production roles they had on Mitsudomoe, Minami-ke, and YuruYuri. It’s fair to expect that Kotoura-san will have similar comedic and slice-of-life vibes as these three shows, and hopefully with its ESP/mind-reading twist, it will also be able to bring some of its own flair to the table as well. Winter looks to be the season for plenty of laughs, and Kotoura-san has the pedigree and potential for comedic success amongst the new offerings. Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Stilts, Zanibas Expectation Level: Moderate

Show Kotoura-San Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_PV1.jpg 480 270] Kotoura-San Promotional Video #1 (0:56) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_CM1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_CM1.jpg 355 200] Kotoura-San Commercial #1 (0:29) [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_CM2.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Kotoura-san_CM2.jpg 355 200] Kotoura-San Commerical #2 (0:51)

Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo? Top

問題児たちが異世界から来るそうですよ？

http://mondaiji.tv/ Animation: Diomedéa Premiere: January 11, 2013 Genre: Comedy, Supernatural Airtime (GMT+9): Fridays at 25:30 Episodes: 10 Station: Tokyo MX (MX) Information Links: AniDB, ANN Encyclopedia, MyAnimeList, syoboi, Wikipedia Preview by Verdant Continuing the recent trend of shows with inexplicably long and hard to pronounce titles, Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo? (Problem children are coming from another world, aren’t they?) imagines a world where Kurousagi (Nomizu Iori), a beautiful girl with bunny ears and a prodigious bust, sends a magical letter to three mondaiji (problem children) with powerful supernatural and psychic powers. These lucky three are Sakamaki Izayoi (Asanuma Shinatro), a boy bored with the world, and two attractive but problematic girls, the shy Kasukabe You (Nakajima Megumi) and haughty Kudou Asuka (Bridcut Sarah Emi). Upon opening the letter, they are transported to a fantasy world called Miniature Garden, where they use their powers battling all manner of demons, gods, and monsters to eventually overthrow the Devil King, a tyrant plaguing the bunny girl’s community of No Name… Sounds like many a boy’s dream come true, right? (The preview writer does not share this dream.) The anime adaptation of Tatsunoko Tarou’s fantasy light novel is helmed by Campione!, Dog Days, and Sekirei director Kusakawa Keizou, so it’s highly likely he’ll bring his talented eye for crafting an entertaining show to Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo? as well. His resume is perfect for this show, especially since the premise shares some major similarities with his past works, such as the main characters finding themselves in a previously unknown world and then pairing up with a beautiful girl who wants them to save this new world. Like these shows, Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo? also looks like it will also be a harem as well – after all, with three girls and only one guy comprising the main cast, it has all the makings of one, for better or for worse. A season of anime doesn’t feel complete without a fantasy/comedy harem, and given the director’s stellar track record, Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? is almost a sure bet to be an entertaining ride. Watching This: Guardian Enzo, Moomba, Stilts, Zanibas, Zephyr Expectation Level: Moderate

Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? Promotional Videos ▼ [flv:Winter%202013%20Preview/Mondaijitachi_ga_Isekai_Kara_Kuru_Sou_Desu_yo_PV1.mp4 Winter%202013%20Preview/Mondaijitachi_ga_Isekai_Kara_Kuru_Sou_Desu_yo_PV1.jpg 480 270] Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? Promotional Video #1 (1:53)