Summer 2007 Preview! June 18
We’re now just two weeks away from the new season, so it’s time for another preview! This summer is filled with plenty of new adaptations along with several sequels, including fan favorites Zero no Tsukaima and Higurashi. In fact, I think the only new show this season that is not based on a manga, game, novel, or previous anime is CODE-E. Anyway, before we get started, a few notes. As usual, I’ll watch the first episode of most shows within certain parameters (in other words, not the kiddie shows), and what I list here are the chances of me actually blogging something based on my initial impressions from promotional material. However, even if I list the chances for a show as good or guaranteed, it doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll stick with it for more than a few episodes.
By no means does this list reflect all of the anime that are going to be aired, though I did try to be as comprehensive as I could. Check out MOON PHASE for an entire listing, syoboi’s calendar for specific air-times, and AndrewLB’s Summer 2007 Wiki for who’s tentatively subbing what.
Technical Note: 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.
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Tetsuko no Tabi http://tetsuko.jp/ Premieres June 24th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 10:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 21:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi If you don’t know the name Yokomi Hirohiko, I don’t blame you. He’s infamous for supposedly being the first man in Japan to have visited every single one of its 9843 train stations. Tetsuko no Tabi is based on his experience and travels with a not-entirely-thrilled manga-ka across various stations. It’s a unique concept, but I don’t know if a show like this will be able to keep my interest. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor |
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Nanatsuiro Drops http://www.nanatsuiro.com/ Premieres July 2nd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Mondays at 25:40 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Mondays at 12:40 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi So there’s this boy who drinks a suspicious juice that turns him into a stuffed animal whenever it gets dark. He has to collect something called Star Drops in order to return himself to normal, and to do it, he needs the help of a special magical girl from his class, but he can’t let her know about his identity or else he’ll be stuck as a stuffed animal forever. The trailer for this on the official site caught my eye, but reports from the special screening of the first episode haven’t exactly been good. It is the only new show premiering on Mondays for the summer though, so that gives it a much better chance in terms of me blogging it. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good |
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BUZZER BEATER http://www.ntv.co.jp/buzzer/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 24:56 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 11:56 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia I knew the title of this sounded familiar - it’s already been animated once in 2005. The show is about a boy who joins an interstellar basketball team, and it’s a remake the original with reportedly better animation quality. Even so, I didn’t watch the 2005 series and I have no plans to watch this one. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor |
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Doujin Work http://www.doujin.tv/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 25:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 12:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Based on the 4-koma work by Hiroyuki, this show is about a girl getting involved in the process of creating doujinshi. The character designs and art style look appealing, but since this is supposed to be a comedy, I’ll have to see if the first episode is funny and worth the time. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho http://www.umisho.com/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi From mangaka Hattori Mitsuru comes a series about a boy who is the manager of a high school swim club, but he doesn’t like water that’s more than knee-deep, stemming from a mermaid encounter in his childhood. The club gets joined by an energetic girl transferring from Okinawa, and since Hattori Mitsuru’s mangas tend to have an ecchi aspect to them, this girl’s quirks include swimming naked and wearing a swimsuit instead of normal underwear. It’s being worked on by Artland though, and I haven’t been a huge fan of the series they’ve animated. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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School Days http://www.schooldays-anime.com/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:15 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:15 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi School Days is based on a game from a couple of years ago that was popular for its large amount of animated sequences and its many different endings to a plot which involves a love triangle between a boy and two girls. For better or worse, it’s probably known most for the level of blood and violence in a few of those endings (and perhaps for the male lead being “one of the most pathetic adult game protagonists ever”). Now I don’t know how much those bad endings or violence will play into this animated version since I doubt this will get an R-15 rating, but regardless, I’ve heard good things and am really looking forward to seeing it. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed |
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ZOMBIE-LOAN http://www.zombie-loan.com/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:40 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:40 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi As the title implies, ZOMBIE-LOAN has zombies, though it also has Shinigami. Based on a manga by the popular duo PEACH-PIT, the story here has a special girl who possesses Shinigami Eyes (yes, the same terminology from DEATH NOTE) that allow her to see dark rings that appear around people’s necks before they die. Two of her classmates have these rings but are still alive because they made a deal to hunt zombies in exchange for living through an accident, and of course she gets involved with them. This sounds like it could be an interesting action show, and it has the same director (Nishimori Akira) and production team (XEBEC M2) as Hitohira. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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CODE-E http://avexmovie.jp/lineup/code-e/ Premieres July 3rd, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Tuesdays at 26:43 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Tuesdays at 13:43 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi I saw the word “CODE” and the first thing that popped into my mind was CODE GEASS, but alas, this has nothing to do with that. CODE-E is about a girl who radiates electromagnetic waves when her emotions run high, which of course makes it hard for her to use electronic devices. At her new school, she encounters a boy who wants to study her “TYPE-E” power, and since this is supposed to be a love comedy, I would guess that she starts to like him or something. The promotional video made it look interesting, but it’ll have to stand out among the other potentially good shows coming on Tuesdays (as you can see above). Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Mushi-Uta http://www.wowow.co.jp/anime/mushi-uta/ Premieres July 5th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi In the world that Mushi-Uta takes place in, there are insects known as Mushi that eat a person’s dreams, but in exchange grant that person paranormal powers. These people become known as Mushitsuki, and when their dream gets completely eaten, they die. The story here involves a boy who meets a girl that is a runaway from a secret facility where Mushitsuki are held, and how they get involved in a conflict between a government organization and a resistance organization. The plot sounds like it could be interesting, but past that, nothing much about this show gets me really excited. I’ve never even heard of the studio doing the animation production, BEAT FROG, and the director Sakai Kazuo seems fairly untested in that position so far. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Sky Girls http://www.konami.jp/visual/skygirls/ Premieres July 5th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 25:28 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 12:28 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, syoboi With the apparent success of the OVA that was released last year, Sky Girls is being made into a 26-episode television series being animated by J.C.Staff. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with the story, it takes place in a time when a third of mankind was wiped out by an enemy known as Worms. Mankind had to resort to using weapons of mass destruction to win, but 10 years later, Worms return. The name Sky Girls refers to the special few who pilot large mechanical frames called Sonic Drivers into battle. Anyway, the original OVA got fairly mixed reviews since it basically boiled down to lolis + mecha with some good quality animation. I don’t know how the new series will turn out, but on the plus side, the star-studded cast is returning, including the likes of Kawasumi Ayako, Itou Shizuka, and Horie Yui. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Potemayo http://www.potemayo.com/ Premieres July 6th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 25:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 12:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Another show based on a 4-koma manga, Potemayo is a mysterious female, uh, living thing that comes out of the main character’s refrigerator and doesn’t speak normally though she can read people’s minds. This is slice of life comedy is about her, her counterpart called Guchuko (who carries the scythe), the main character, and his middle school friends. For me, the main thing this show has going for it is that its being worked on by J.C.Staff, directed by Ikehata Takehashi who also did Genshiken, and has Kawasumi Ayako and Kugimiya Rie in it. Still, those things alone probably aren’t enough to get me to watch it. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor |
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Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai http://www.oyashirosama.com/web/ Premieres July 6th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 26:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 13:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi The sequel to the popular bloody psychological horror from last spring promises more of the same with three more arcs including an anime-original one. There was a lot of criticism of the first series because of the way Studio DEEN handled it, and for better or worse, Studio DEEN and staff is back for this one. I personally haven’t seen the first series and aren’t a fan of any horror type shows, so the chances of me picking this up aren’t great, but maybe Jaalin will. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/zetsubou/ Premieres July 7th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Saturdays at 24:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Saturdays at 11:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi The name for this series comes from the Japanese word for despair and how the main character’s name can be interpreted that way if you write it horizontally instead of vertically. Fittingly, that main character is a very negative teacher and the manga opens up with him trying to hang himself before he gets saved by one of his very positive-attitude student who thinks he was trying to get taller. The manga is full of jokes and gags, and I find it rather appropriate that SHAFT and Shinbou Akiyuki will be working on this series (along with a fairly talented cast including Inoue Marina, Gotou Yuuko, and Nonaka Ai). This probably means that those of you who liked Pani Poni Dash!, Hidamari Sketch, and/or Negima!? have a good chance of enjoying this one too. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good |
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Zero no Tsukaima ~Futatsuki no Kishi~ http://www.zero-tsukaima.com/ Premieres July 8th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 24:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 11:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Also back with a second series is Zero no Tsukaima (with a new director), but unfortunately, only for another 12 episodes. I had really been hoping for it to be 24 episodes, and this short length makes me wonder if the series will be able to adapt the novel’s story well enough. In any case, the new season promises more of Louise and Saito (come to think of it, it’s been a while since I last heard Hino Satoshi in a main role) along with several new characters including Louise’s two older sisters Cattleya and Eleonore, the latter of whom is being voiced by Inoue Kikuko. Needless to say, I’ll definitely be watching this. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed |
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Moetan http://www.ink-chan.com/ Premieres July 8th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Sundays at 25:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Sundays at 12:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Moetan was originally an English language study aid aimed at teaching otaku by using game and animated related phrases. It included gems like “When I fell in love with the her, I thought that the girl was my stepsister. I bet if I had known she was my real sister, I would not have fallen in love with her.” and “My friend found the picture I was hiding, so I tricked him by saying I have a sister that is a primary school student” and “All guys who like small breasts have large ones themselves.” Of course, there’s no guarantee that phrases like those are going to make it into the anime, but I think this show has the potential to be hilarious in so many different ways if executed correctly. Popular voice actress Tamura Yukari will be taking the lead role, and I’ve heard her English isn’t that bad, so I’m quite excited to see this. Odds I’ll Blog This: Guaranteed |
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Mononoke http://www.mononoke-anime.com/ Premieres July 12th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:45 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:45 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi The next show in the noitaminA programming block (currently occupied by Nodame Cantabile) is based on the third arc of the Ayakashi~ Japanese Classic Horror anime that aired in the same timeslot last year. Many have said that the third arc - which was about a mysterious medicine seller faced against a cat monster that was murdering people - was the best of the three, and this new series involves the medicine seller’s encounters with five different monsters from Japanese folklore over the course of 12 episodes. The art style is very traditional looking and differs greatly from what you usually see, but that gives it a very unique feel. It’ll be interesting for me to see if Toei can do a good job in making this into a full series. Odds I’ll Blog This: Decent |
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Shigurui http://www.wowow.co.jp/anime/shigurui/ Premieres July 19th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 23:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 10:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo Shigurui is the ultra-violent samurai manga that starts with a tournament in the sixth year of the Kan’ei era (1629) between two swordsmen - one who is blind and one who has only one arm - who have an interconnected past. The ultra-violence probably requires some emphasizing because there are some parts of the manga that are extremely graphic (the very first few pages features a man who pulls out his own intestines), and WOWOW has already taken the step of giving the animated version an R-15 rating. From what I’ve read in the manga, this doesn’t look to be my type of series, so the odds are pretty low that I’ll blog it. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor |
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Baccano! http://www.baccano.jp/ Premieres July 26th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Thursdays at 24:30 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Thursdays at 11:30 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi Baccano! is a show that intrigues me quite a bit because it has such a wide and diverse cast of characters. Although the back-story involves a group of alchemists who received a liquor of immortality from a demon in the 1700s, the main story takes place in America in the 1930s during Prohibition and involves those alchemists along with mobsters, thieves, terrorists, delinquents, murderers, and even a ghost. Having such a large cast probably wouldn’t work so well for a short series, but if this manages to be longer than 13 episodes, I think it could be a lot of fun. The trailer certainly had plenty of energy and music, and interestingly enough, several of the key staff positions (director, character designer, series planner, sound director, and music composer) all worked together in the past on Koi Kaze. In any case, I’m looking forward to this quite a bit. Odds I’ll Blog This: Good |
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Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho Tou Dai Ni Maku http://www.majin.tv/ Premieres July 27th, 2007 Airtime in Japan (JST, GMT+9): Fridays at 23:00 Airtime in U.S. (EDT, GMT-4): Fridays at 10:00 Information Links: ANN Encyclopedia, AnimeNfo, syoboi This is the second season of the action show that started this past winter season. Whereas the first season featured the battle with villain Kozonu Tendou, this next one will involve the 12 heavenly generals. Honestly though, I missed the first season, so I doubt I’ll be watching this. Odds I’ll Blog This: Poor |
The above list totals the 19 shows that will be premiering in July with Tetsuko no Tabi being the sole exception since it starts in June. As expected, that is significantly less than fall and spring seasons - good for me in terms of time it takes to write a preview, but not so good in terms of number of potentially good shows. The only two July shows I didn’t preview are Happy Happy Clover because it’s very clearly a kids show and Votoms: Pailsen Files because it doesn’t have an airdate yet. CODE GEASS’s 24th and 25th episodes also are slated air in the summer, but those don’t have a date yet either, and I’ve given those enough coverage already to mention them here again. Looking further ahead, August will bring the next season of Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan and also the new series Miyori no Mori, but unfortunately, I find that I have a very poor track record in picking up new shows mid-season after I’ve already established a blogging schedule. Overall, I personally can probably afford to pick up three or four new series, and several of the above shows have a lot of promise, so maybe Jaalin can be convinced to take up another one too.
Like last season, I’ve uploaded a torrent with the promotional videos and commercials of many of the shows I’ve just talked about. Included in the pack (11 files total) are: Baccano! (PV), CODE-E (PV), Doujin Work (PV), Higurashi (PV), Mushi-Uta (CM), Nanatsuiro Drops (PV and Special), Shigurui (Two PVs), Sky Girls (PV), and Testuko no Tabi (PV).
Torrent Link.
As a side note, I noticed that this site crossed over 10 million hits right as I was publishing this preview. 
The important question is of course, what are you going to be watching?
As always, Comments, Questions, and Suggestions are welcome.
Genestarwind at 2:42 am on June 18th, 2007
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is very good series. I wish it can be blog^^
Harbin at 2:47 am on June 18th, 2007
Higurashi, Zero no Tsukaima, and School days all the wayy!
moyism at 3:04 am on June 18th, 2007
I’ll definitely be watching the following: Nanatsuiro Drops, Doujin Work, School Days, Sky Girls, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Zero no Tsukaima ~Futatsuki no Kishi~, and Moetan.
I’ll at least check out these, for better or worse: Tetsuko no Tabi, Kenko Zenrakei Suieibu Umisho, ZOMBIE-LOAN, CODE-E, Mushi-Uta, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Baccano!, and Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho Tou Dai Ni Maku.
BROOKLYN otaku at 3:05 am on June 18th, 2007
WHOA!!! another graveyard shift at the job made ALOT better thanks too you dude!!! WOW! more Higurashi?!?!?! where the fuck are they gonna go with those charecters now!! ahh but whats this,, YEAH KID!! MO, Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho!!!!!! well thats about all that seems interesting so far, “to me at least” ..some zero “by default”.,,and what the hell is a zombie loan??? they shoulda just called that shit “college loans” trust me..way more scarier
Akagi at 3:06 am on June 18th, 2007
Its hard to say which of this new anime are good or bad. I think you should blog Zero No Tsukaima Moetan and (School Days I saw hentai series).
Question: When will you blog Claymore?
There’s new popular anime called Shakugan no Shana Second (TV)it will air on Oct.
and some unconfirmed new anime You’re Under Arrest New Series still no announced yet.
anonymous at 3:11 am on June 18th, 2007
zombie loan looks like the only semi-interesting one here. need more comedies like seto no hanayome. looks like i got only geass to really look forward to this summer. btw, what’s with the randomblog homepage going to animeblogger.net page?
AvexMode at 3:14 am on June 18th, 2007
No Kiddy Grade 2?
Kamion at 3:16 am on June 18th, 2007
ShakuShana2 will be aired this Fall, it doesn’t belong in the summer-season.
I’ll definately watch Higurashi, since I enjoyed the first season. Maybe trying out Zero no Tsukaima (if I get my hands on the first season), School days, Doujin Work and Moetan.
bj0rN at 3:18 am on June 18th, 2007
my picks are…
Nanatsuiro Drops, Doujin Work, School Days, Sky Girls, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Zero no Tsukaima ~Futatsuki no Kishi~, and Moetan.
ZOMBIE-LOAN, CODE-E, Mushi-Uta, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho Tou Dai Ni Maku if i think its worthy to continue since i wanna check em out.
Naakay at 3:18 am on June 18th, 2007
I’m extremely excited about Higurashi, because knowing DEEN is handling it again I’m hoping they fix what they did to the first season. But there is always the chance it’ll end up being a mess like the first season, but at least it gives the non-gamers a chance to see what happens.
That said, I’ll be sort of sad if School Days won’t have an r-15 rating, but maybe TNK can pull something off, considering the amount of endings there are I hope I can see some of them, one way or another.
Other then those two, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, Zero no Tsukaima, and Moetan all look interesting, Zero is a given. I think i just miss Hino Satoshi’s voice.
Shippoyasha at 3:19 am on June 18th, 2007
Shigurui sounds interesting. Beyond Higurashi, Moetan, Natsuiro, Doujin Work, Zero no Tsukaima 2 and others, I hope to see more lesser known anime to indulge into. Spring had its lionshare of that and hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised again.
2007 is probably one of the best years of anime I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching.
random passerby at 3:20 am on June 18th, 2007
Watching for sure: Zero no Tsukaima, Tokyo Majin
Good odds of following: School Days, Higurashi, Doujin Work, Nanatsuiro Drops, Sky Girls
I’m intrigued: Baccano, Moetan, CODE-E, Zombie Loan
Everything else: Might watch first ep if there’s time.
Lana at 3:21 am on June 18th, 2007
Let’s see, besides the three sequels that I am going to watch (Tokyo Majin, Zero no Tsukaima and Higurashi), Zombie-loan and Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei look interesting. Nanatsuiro drops has Noiji Ito character design and we all know how well her other work has turned out (Haruhi Suzumiya & Shakugan no Shana), so I am at least going to check it out.
Akagi at 3:26 am on June 18th, 2007
No need to answer my question I just discover the site blogging Claymore.
dward at 3:30 am on June 18th, 2007
So its finally this time of the year again eh? I’ll most probably be watching….
-Nanatsuiro Drops
-School Days
-ZOMBIE-LOAN
-CODE-E
-Sky Girls
-Zero no Tsukaima ~Futatsuki no Kishi~
-Tokyo Majin Gakuen Kenpucho Tou Dai Ni Maku
Zukushi-kun at 3:32 am on June 18th, 2007
Higurashi and School Days are on my “For sure” list.
Jason-Sama at 3:32 am on June 18th, 2007
Zero no Tsukaima and Code Geass is A MUST, as I can’t really find anymore summer anime better than those two or maybe atleast for now since all the other trailer aren’t that impressive. Others are maybe Mushi-Uta, School Days(both are quite high quality animation), Nanatsuiro Drops(maybe cause the original character design is Noizi Ito) and Moetan.
Although Sky Girl, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, and Higurashi(people say for this season the story will finally have a solution/conclusion to the tragedy) looks good too but it all depends on the 1st and/or 2nd episode.
Yume at 3:43 am on June 18th, 2007
i’m sure i’ll watch this one >> Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei and zero no tsukima and majin and Baccano .. this is what i’ll watch .. and i’ll look to other if they r good to watch or not .. XD
Malicious_Infinity at 3:50 am on June 18th, 2007
I suggest that you dont write the summary plot it spoil the enjoymnet, just the impression of the story it will be okay and put lot & lots picture or bigger picture.
fisherman horizon at 3:59 am on June 18th, 2007
Definitely Zero no Tsukaima. Only 12 episodes… argh… Probably moetan as well. the others look plain and not attractive.