Anime Anime in 2007

[Dagger]

What are you looking forward to? What are your general hopes for the year?

I've said this a bit too often, but I think 2007 is going to be an amazing year for anime. On the North American side of things, the anime market seems to be picking up a little after its recent slump, which will hopefully result in companies licensing more obscure/risky series. Meanwhile, despite doomsday predictions about the good-to-trash ratio of the anime debuting in Japan, there are still a lot of great shows out there just waiting to be discovered and loved. Here's some stuff I'm anticipating.

- The new [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuild_of_evangelion][u]Evangelion movies[/u][/url].
- The North American DVD release of [url=http://asosbrigade.com/][u]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/u][/url].
- The North American DVD release of [url=http://www.bandaivisual.us/gunbuster/][u]Gunbuster[/u][/url].
- The North American DVD release of [url=http://www.blacklagoon.jp/][u]Black Lagoon[/u][/url]. I really want this to air on Adult Swim...
- Watching future discs of [url=http://www.ergoproxydvd.com/][u]Ergo Proxy[/u][/url].
- The new [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showpost.php?p=761709&postcount=15][u]Kino's Journey movie[/u][/url].
- GONZO's take on [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=55922][u]Romeo and Juliet[/u][/url].
- [url=http://www.moribito.com/][u]Seirei no Moribito[/u][/url], an upcoming series from the director & studio behind GitS: SAC.
- [url=http://5cm.yahoo.co.jp/][u]Byousoku 5 cm[/u][/url], the latest project from Makoto Shinkai (the director of Voices of a Distant Star and The Place Promised in Our Early Days).
- More [url=http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=55352][u]Death Note[/u][/url]. ;)

Makoto Shinkai's work has its flaws, but there's a reason he's so lauded: he brings the beauty made possible by animation to increasingly higher heights with everything he produces. Seirei no Moribito probably won't be lacking in the visual department, either--and if it's anywhere near as good as GitS: SAC, a lot of people are going to be happy. Meanwhile, Romeo x Juliet offers GONZO another chance to prove that they're not just the studio of creativity-free mediocrity and lame budget shortfalls.

Gunbuster's licensing is a rather big milestone (I just feel lucky that I didn't have to wait years and years to see it on DVD!). Haruhi Suzumiya offers a chance for DVD buyers and fansubs watchers to get excited about a show together and prove that they aren't mutually exclusive groups.

There are whispers that FUNimation may have snagged Mushishi, and a recent hint from a Geneon representative has led many to believe that a Rozen Maiden announcement is in the works. We'll have to wait and see whether any of that shapes up to be more than speculation, but it gives me reason to hope.

~Dagger~

[2010DigitalBoy]

[COLOR=DarkOrange][B]- The new Evangelion Movies[/B]

Ohyespleazethankyou. i can never get enough Eva, and what better way to quench my thirst?!? Finally some more freaky psychological crap to wrap my mind around!! I'm majorly excited! i only hope they can live up to the title of Eva.

[B]- the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya english release[/B]

I'm scared for this one because if they mess up then it'll really suck. I can't wait to buy these and then force everyone I know to watch them! Haha! I only hope all the cultural things translate well.

[B]- Kino's Journey movie[/B]

I like this idea because Kino is such an open-ended series that the movie could be about anything and you know it's going to be cool! I'm really hoping the season 2 rumors are true as well.

... more[B] Death Note [/B] is always nice too[/COLOR]

[Magus]

I really can't say that I'm looking forward to much since I haven't really kept up with what's coming out. I know [b]Blood+[/b] is suppose to air on Adult Swim some time down the line. I heard quite a bit about it. Both good and bad, and it's just one of those I have to check out for myself. So I'm looking forward to seeing that on Adult Swim whenever it's scheduled to air.

Another one I'm interested in is [b]Black Lagoon[/b]. I've only seen a few images of one character, and the art / animation looked fairly nice from what I saw. I haven't heard much about the story. I just heard it was some girl weilding guns and has the mouth of a sailor. So I think that's something that should be checked out.

And if there are any new samurai or ninja type animes coming out this year, I'm looking forward to seeing what they're about and whatnot. Other than that, that's about it.

[Sojio]

I am looking forward to the new Studio Ghibli film Gedo Senki (Tales Of Earthsea) by the new kid on the block Goro Miyazaki. I dont know if you guys from USA know the Australian distributer MADMAN but I heard they recently got the rights to screen it so I am really looking forward to seeing how the new Miyazaki fares. Also looking forward to see who is casted for the english over dubbing.

[Andy]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Hmmm....well, i'm also wanting to see the 2nd Kino's Journey "movie" as well, even though i'm just now starting to watch Kino's Journey.:p Anyway's, i'm also looking forward to some more awesome Death Note episode's. And, my most eagerly awaited one of them all, the ending of the Naruto filler's.(I know i've got some people agreeing with me on that one, right?)[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[eleanor]

[color=dimgray] So far I'm not too interested in any of the new things coming in 2007, but this summer I hope to get into some other fandoms.

I've heard nothing but praise for [b]One Piece[/b] from people, so I'm willing to give it a shot. And I suppose I should finally check out [b]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/b], even though something tells me I will regret it.

And finally... TIME JUMP!NARUTO FINALLY GETTING ANIMATED OMG THANK YOU.[/color]

[Kimmeh]

I'd hate to sound like a broken record, but everyone's pretty much said what I'm looking forward to...

1. No more Naruto fillers. Thank GOD..

2. One Piece? I've been hearing things about it as well.

3.BLACK LAGOON! YES! And I would loove to see it on AS as well. ^_^

4. And there are a ton of other random things... But for some reason, I'm failing to remember. Call it a blonde moment. :catgirl:

-Kimmeh

[xmystic_silverx]

[quote name='Kurayami Oji][SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]....And, my most eagerly awaited one of them all, the ending of the Naruto filler's.(I know i've got some people agreeing with me on that one, right?)[/COLOR'][/SIZE][/quote]

[color=darkred]I can't wait. After so long it's so good to hear the words "end of Naruto fillers" together in one sentence. It should be in February or March, right?

I guess other than more Death Note I'm pretty excited about the english dub of [b]Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles[/b] and the [b]xxxHolic movie[/b], which has been licensed by FUNimation.[/color]

[Starwind]

I've made no small note of the fact that I am an avid [B]Evangelion[/B] fan. As such, I'm sure you can guess that I too greatly anticipate the release of the new Eva movies.

But to along with those I'm also looking forward to more [B]Ergo Proxy [/B] and [B]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/B].

[Ikillion]

[COLOR=#0e1030][SIZE=1][FONT=Trebuchet MS]Other than the "Omg, Naruto and Bleach fillers are ending now zomg yes." I really don't have that may things that I've planned out to see this year. (Besides Afro Samurai but that starts airing tommorow night). I think I just may check out [B]The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya[/B], since everyone seems to be in an uproar of joy over it.

The one thing I'm really hoping for this year is to see [B]666 Satan[/B] in an anime form. Dispite the questionable name It is actually a really good series, (It isnt even half as satanic as it sounds!). Besides, the timeskip they have in that series makes Naruto's look whimpy. Brothers share the same idea I presume.

And thats all, I will most likely pick up new series as they reveal themse;vs but lets hope this year is awesome![/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Dagger]

Heh, I'm rubbing my hands in anticipation of Afro Samurai as well, if only for the expensive-looking animation and Samuel L. Jackson. But it's kind of unfortunate that the DVDs won't have a Japanese language track (since it's being broadcast over here first). Hopefully the rest of the English cast is good.

As for those of you with an interest in Haruhi--don't be shy, go check it out! Just try not to let anything you've heard about the series color your expectations for it. And watch Episode 00 to the end before judging it. :p

In terms of other shows that will be airing soon or soon-ish, I'm not excited about that many... at least not yet. But here are a couple more I'll watch (or keep an eye on until they're licensed).

- Lucky☆Star. It's based on a 4-koma manga with humor a little bit like that of Azumanga Daioh. Most of the characters are female, but what sets them apart is that they're otaku and gamers.

- Claymore (based on a Monthly Shounen Jump manga which is apparently pretty awesome).

- [url=http://www.nodame-anime.com/][u]Nodame Cantabile[/u][/url], which I also know very little about, but which seems to involve orchestras. It gets extra points for being liked by a lot of people who also like Honey & Clover.

- [url=http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/lesmise/][u]Les Miserables: Shoujo Cossette[/u][/url]. Yeah, try guessing what this one's based on. To be truthful, I have a gut feeling that the anime will not do its source material justice; the heavy emphasis on cute little Cossette is worrisome.

- [url=http://gr-anime.com/][u]Giant Robo[/u][/url] has very little chance of being as awesome as the older Giant Robot OVA, but at least it seems like a labor of love.

On the OVA front, I'm most interested in [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_o81f61mMo][u]Murder Princess[/u][/url] (<-- digicam'd promo). I'd be more psyched about the Tales of Symphonia OVA if I had actually gotten to play ToS, but oh well. It looks like a rather nice production, regardless.

~Dagger~

[Andy]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=DarkRed]Ah yes, I had completely forgot to mention [B]Afro Samurai[/B]. I had already checked out the trailer for the series last year, and I can't wait for the premiere tomorrow. Although i'll still have to get used to Samuel L. Jackson's voice acting.:p Anyway's, what really brought my attention to this anime was the animation style. I mean, it really does look pretty good, especially in that first fight scene.^^ So i'm definetly looking forward to Afro Samurai.^^[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I hear [B]Bleach[/B] fillers are set to end pretty soon, too? I've been looking forward to that since I heard about it.

[B]Death Note[/B] is naturally something to look forward to, and hopefully the UK will get the anime you mentioned on release.

Also, I read in New Type about the possible production of a [B]Devil May Cry [/B] anime? I don't know when it scheduled for release, but I'd be interested to know more about that if anyone has information. That would be really special if they do it properly.

[B]EDIT:[/B] By the way Ikillion, your signature is love. I adore D.Gray-man. <3[/SIZE]

[bellpickle]

[quote name='Ezekiel][SIZE=1]Also, I read in New Type about the possible production of a [B]Devil May Cry [/B'] anime?[/SIZE][/quote]
[SIZE=1]Last time I checked, all that's known about the anime is that it'll be animated by MadHouse, it'll be about 12 episodes long, and it'll be released some time during the spring. Otherwise, it's all speculation. Here's the website URL, in case you're interested:

[U][url]http://dmc-tv.com/[/url][/U][/SIZE]

[Monkey_Orange]

[COLOR=DarkOrange]I'm a little disappointed at the offerings for this Winter/Spring 2007 anime. A huge chunk of the list I glanced through included many cutesy-wiltsey shoujo series that may cause me to OD :animestun Thus, I've only selected a few that I know I'll definitely check out :D

[B]Nodame Cantabile:[/B] I loved the manga. I loved the live action series. And I can't wait to watch the anime!

[B]Naruto:[/B] Finally, finally we get to move onward with the story! And how long did that take??
[B]
Devil May Cry[/B]: Dante, hehe...

[B]Claymore: [/B]I've always been curious about this story but could never bring myself to flip open the manga because...well...the character designs freak me out. :animedepr They look like aliens... BUT, the designs from the anime aren't as disturbing so I shall give it a try. Yes, I can be a bit shallow :animestun

[B]Lovely Complex:[/B] Hehe, I've been looking forward to this cute romantic comedy for quite a while. I can't wait! Hmm...I'm wondering when Viz will starting releasing the manga.

[B]Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya II[/B]: I swear, this show is odd but in a cool way. I liked the first season so I'll go ahead and continue with the next :D
[/COLOR]

[xmystic_silverx]

[COLOR=DarkRed]I just found a trailer on youtube and apparently it's a Naruto movie that takes place during the timeskip. I think it's called Naruto Shippuden. That's something to look forward to in 2007, right?

[center][URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V589nkS_ICk]Click for Naruto Shippuden[/URL] [/COLOR][/center]

[Kenshin DX]

[B][COLOR=Blue]Devil May Cry will hopefully be as great as the games.I want to see it.

Im also looking foward to the new installments to Hellsing.

And finally the end of Speed Grapher.[/COLOR][/B]

[Dagger]

Ooh, Ergo Proxy volume 2 comes out in a couple of days.

It has also occurred to me that although I have Black Lagoon pre-ordered, I am so not going to be able to hold out until the release date. I see a pre-DVD marathon in my future.

But that's neither here nor there, because I wanted to link to the old [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a9OvJPLbTk&eurl=][u]Seirei no Moribito[/u][/url] trailer. It's seriously hawt stuff.

As far as new anime on DVD go, I'm falling behind, but I'm going to try to watch the first discs of [url=http://www.soltyrei.tv/][u]Solty Rei[/u][/url] and [url=http://www.utaware.net/][u]Utawarerumono[/u][/url] in a timely manner. Nor am I caught up with newly airing shows--although apparently [url=http://www.majin.tv/index.html][u]Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho[/u][/url], which wasn't even on my radar before, has gotten off to quite a smashing start. (Of course, the main point of this post is still Seirei no Moribito. Watch and salivate.)

~Dagger~

[Astraea]

I...got my password right first try? That's got to be a first.

I hadn't heard of Serei no Moribito, but that trailer looks pretty awesome. Not sure what its about, mind you, but it looks very impressive.

Death Note being released is a good thing to look forward to (well, the sooner the US gets it, the sooner it might be out in the UK.), ditto Haruhi Suzumiya. I also wouldn't mind seeing what Goro Miyazaki has done to Earthsea.

[Animepunk420]

[SIZE=1][COLOR=SlateGray][CENTER]Devil may Cry...Omg great game hope better in anime the Evangelion movies was a big shock :animeswea on me cause I thought it was completley done but not yet also, I can not wait for Romeo x Juliet i seems awsome but I have hopes on the new anime Air Gear It's rare to see a skating anime after all comes out on Dvd in 12 more days can't dood[/CENTER][/COLOR][/SIZE]

:catgirl:

[TimeChaser]

2007 is turning out to be the busiest year I've ever had collecting anime.

Starting with what I'm already into, I'm looking forward to seeing the conclusions to [B]Speed Grapher[/B] and [B]Trinity Blood[/B] (especially since I lost track of [B]TB[/B] on adult swim and its so heavily into story-arcing that I'm just watching the dvds til it's all out).

Then there are the series that I'm getting that still have a ways to go: [B]Ergo Proxy [/B], [B]Eureka Seven[/B], [B]Fate/Stay Night[/B], [B]Guyver[/B], [B]Hellsing Ultimate[/B], [B]Noein[/B], & [B]Utawarerumono[/B]. Also [B]Bleach[/B], which is my only long-term investment.

I just got the first disc of [B]Rumbling Hearts[/B] today and look forward to watching the rest (thank goodness its only 3 volumes).

Then there's series that have yet to come out: [B]Le Chevalier d"Eon[/B], [B]Kurau Phantom Memory[/B], & [B]Black Lagoon[/B] (let's hear it for the violence!!). Plus [B]Origin: Spirits of the Past[/B] (movie).

Whew... It's a wonder I'm not absolutely dirt poor already o_O

I'm also hoping that the adaptation of the [B]Claymore[/B] manga won't suck, and to find out if the [B]Witchblade[/B] anime is worth looking into.

[Dagger]

BONES (the studio that made FMA, Wolf's Rain, RahXephon and--at least recently--some less impressive stuff) has two new series coming in the spring. Both of them will probably be licensed pretty quickly.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFbEiEabr3o][u]Darker Than Black - Kuro no Keiyakusha[/u][/url]
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBIUHLh1ne4][u]The Skull Man[/u][/url]

Click for trailers, although I'm afraid that Darker Than Black's is rather short. Both shows look like dark urban fantasy/action stuff, which is fine, except that Skull Man will have to be really impressive to get over the fact that the whole, er, Skull Man concept doesn't appeal to me at all.

Some people have guessed that Yoko Kanno will be doing the music for Darker Than Black, although this is just based on its trailer. That would get me to watch it...

Oh, and both Mushishi and Rozen Maiden [i]have[/i] been licensed. :catgirl: Rozen Maiden is supposed to be coming out in the spring, while [url=http://funimation.com/mushishi/][u]Mushishi[/u][/url] is scheduled for the summer. The first volume of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya will be released on May 29.

~Dagger~

[Rachmaninoff]

[quote name='Dagger]As far as new anime on DVD go, I'm falling behind, but I'm going to try to watch the first discs of [url=http://www.soltyrei.tv/][u]Solty Rei[/u][/url'] [/quote]If you haven't had a chance to get to this yet, I just watched the first four episodes of it and so far it's coming along nicely. It was a bit cliched in how she just showed up at the perfect moment to [spoiler]save Roy's life. [/spoiler] But the way she follows Roy everywhere and ends up being a part of his life is rather fun to watch, even the way she ends up with her wacky outfit due to [spoiler]Roy saying he liked it, even though he hadn't looked, just to get her to shut up.[/spoiler] Or how he ends up as her [spoiler]legal guardian when Miranda register's her to him without asking him.[/spoiler]

I'm not sure where they intend to go with it, but it is off to a good start as far as I'm concerned, and the animation and the overall art has a nice clean feel to it. And I do like her innocent and naive attitude in regards to everything even if it is due to her not having a [spoiler]clue as to who or what she really is.[/spoiler]

[Dagger]

Agreed! I was surprised at how much I liked the beginning of Solty Rei. It was actually fun to watch. I try not to nitpick about cliches if I'm enjoying a show, at least not at this early stage.

I don't know if this is in the first four episodes, but there's a [spoiler]beach[/spoiler] episode in the first six episodes. On the one hand, that makes it look like they're already running out of ideas--but on the other hand, I think it might have been good that they got it out of the way quickly. Maybe they can get a move on with the story sooner that way. Plus, it was hysterical. :)

A couple of other series are likely candidates to get started on DVD in 2007. I can't 100% guarantee that all of these are licensed for sure, but Geneon has registered domain names for them. This pans out far more often with Geneon than with other companies--and there's also the fact that they need some other new shows for 2007. Anyway, at least one of these anime (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) is a definite release, since it was the result of a license-guessing contest on ANN.

[b][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvOWc6QqlT8][u]Higurashi no Naku Koro ni[/u][/url][/b] means When the Cicadas Cry, but if it's released under an English title, it'll probably be When They Cry. It's based on a fan-published PC game set in the summer of 1983. A teenage boy moves to the small town of Hinamizawa and, in a tiny school where all the grades mingle, becomes part of a close-knit group of friends...

...who he brutally murders not much later.

That isn't a spoiler; it's given away in the first scene of episode 1. The fascinating part of Higurashi is the how and the why. The game has a number of different chapters, each of which ends pretty definitively, requiring the story to reboot in order to keep going. However, each chapter--even with all of the "bad ends"--contributes to your knowledge of the overall plot. The anime takes this approach as well.

As for the three other titles that Geneon has gotten domains for: [b][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv1eDPLvkFo][u]Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha[/u][/url][/b] ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwD24M-mEj4][u]OP 2[/u][/url]) starts off as a standard magical girl anime (except for the fact that it's aimed at a male audience) but gradually accelerates into a wild action-fest with just enough characterization and plot to hold together the pyrotechnics. [b][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6TLyv6YTvc][u]Saiunkoku Monogatari[/u][/url][/b] is a dramatic, political story with similarities to Twelve Kingdoms and Fushigi Yuugi. [b][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOhI363oJ5I][u]Maria-sama ga Miteru[/u][/url][/b] ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlx2TIzGvlw][u]OP 2[/u][/url]) is an elegant, old-fashioned story about all-female school life with loads of yuri undertones.

Links go to the opening sequence(s) of each show. Interestingly, all of them have second or third seasons either coming up or currently being released in Japan.

~Dagger~

[Fasteriskhead]

[quote name='Dagger][b][url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOhI363oJ5I][u]Maria-sama ga Miteru[/u][/url][/b] ([url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlx2TIzGvlw][u]OP 2[/u][/url']) is an elegant, old-fashioned story about all-female school life with loads of yuri undertones.[/quote]Wait a damn minute here. [I]Marimite got licensed[/I]? Has the messiah come as well? Is that the "walking slowly is preferred here" speech I hear over the sound of a bunch of angels playing on seven trumpets? I honestly thought this would never happen, folks, but I've been wrong before. For those who don't know already, Maria-sama ga Miteru is shoujo concentrate (even moreso, I would say, than the epochal Rose of Versailles). It's all long stares, frozen moments, and symbolic flower petals flying every which way, and if you can get past the learning curve it's incredibly compulsive viewing. Never before have you ever cared so much whether a girl's onee-sama likes valentine's day chocolate or not. While I'm happy that it may finally be getting a domestic release, I have to wonder if it will make any kind of an impact at all - it seems entirely alien to current domestic anime sensibilities, even in girls' manga. Well, here's hoping anyways.

Just a quick note on some of the others. Higurashi's a lot of fun in a sadistic sort of way, although much smarter and classier than the usual cute-and-shock approach (Elfen Lied, looking at you). If nothing else, I think it makes the case that "moe" (whatever it is) has been completely misunderstood. Solty Rei unfortunately falls apart quite badly at the end, where they try to jam into a half-dozen episodes or so a massive amount of drama and plot exposition that should probably have been spread out more (into the myriad pool episodes &c.). It's quite a bit of fun early on, but I wouldn't recommend sitting all the way through unless you happen to be drawn into the "dramatic" bits far more than I was. I guess I'll stop there...