Winter Season Preview

The new season is about to begin, so I am having a quick look at what anime are coming out this winter. It looks pretty "dry" compared to the upcoming spring. Five (out of twelve) shows are either continuations or retellings of older series.

At least, several series continue for the winter season (Bamboo Blade, Hayate no Gotoku, Rental Magic & Shana).

ウエルベールの物語 ～ 第二幕
Wellber no Monogatari Second Part
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: After attacking her betrothed on her wedding night, Princess Rita fled in the company of the thief Tina to stay out of the hands of those pursuing her as well as understanding the intrigue surrounding the kingdoms. Continues from where the season stopped during the summer.
Opinion: Though the character designs were good, the integration with the 3d CGs was horrible. Also the plot showed some promise (despite the steam-punk setting), but unfortunately was pretty much blown to pieces with the fillers, which really added nothing and only delayed character and plot development. Since the crew and cast is the same, I expect the same all over again.

ロザリオとバンパイア
Rosario to Vampire
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: By a bizzare coincidence, Tsukune Aono has accidentally gotten himself admitted to a youkai acadamy, a school attended by monsters. Just when he thinks he`ll run away from there, he meets the beautiful girl Moka and his mood turns ultra happy. However, she transforms into her true form when the rosary on her chest is taken off, she`s a super vampire!
Opinion: Based on a shounen manga and produced by GONZO. So expect a lot of fanservice, minimal plot, fluctuating budget and animation quality. The chief director is a newbie and the scriptwriter has made several decent mecha.

H2O~FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND~
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Hirose Takuma has been traumatized by the death of his mother during his childhood years. He eventually transfered to the school in his mother’s home town in order to recover. It is there he met with three particularly strange girls. They include Kohinata Hayam, a girl who rejects any contact with other students. Kagura Hinata is a class leader who is kind but a little careless. The third girl is Otoha, an energetic girl who named herself a “fairy of time and sound”. Hirose Takuma, was traumatized by the death of his mother during his childhood. As he continued his school experience, Takuma tried to start afresh with his life, but with bullies like Tabata Yui and the past events haunting him, things look to be extremely complicated.
Opinion: Harem/Drama that will "rock your soul", at least according to the tag line of its promotional video. Apart from the ridiculous tag line and my resentment of harem shows, I think this one will be very bad and boring, even capable of attaining the title of worst ever, after Kakyusei (the non-hentai one).

破天荒遊戯
Hatenkou Yuugi
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: A young girl named Rahzel is booted out of her house one day by her father with the instructions to `see the world.` And so her journey begins, However, she won`t be doing it alone ... for she befriends a stoic young man named Alzeido seeking revenge for his father`s murder. Alzeido and Rahzel are like oil and water ... but even still, they feel strangely drawn to one another. This could be either the result of an underlying attraction -- or their shared powers with magic. And so, the two reluctant allies travel from town to town, using their powers to help the helpless, while discovering their own respective places in the world.
Opinion: Based on a shoujo manga and produced by Studio DEEN. Not that bad, but the director has only worked thus far in children shows and the scriptwriter is responsible for Bartender, the abomination.

PERSONA -trinity soul-
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: The story takes place in Ayanagi City facing the Sea of Japan, a futuristic city recovering from the “Simultaneous Multiple Languish Syndrome” ten years after the events of Persona 3. Kazato Shin, a high school student and his little brother Jun met up with their brother Ryo who is the chief investigator in the police force. Lately, strange events such as sudden disappearances started to occur. The syndrome, a situation where students are killed and turned into stone figures, is reviving. As Shin stumbles onto this phenomena, he releases a persona, a manifestation of his powers. What is this persona? Based on the Persona RPG game series for the Playstation, developed by Atlus.
Opinion: I have not played Persona, but from the Shin Megami Tensei series, I pretty much loved Digital Devil. Expect occult mixed with technology and vagueness. I really hope this works out well, because this season doesn't have anything else really new and interesting.

さよなら絶望先生 第2期
Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Dainiki
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Itoshiki Nozomu is the world’s most negative person. To his way of thinking, there is no hope or meaning in this existence. Even the three kanji of his name become the two-kanji word zetsubou, “despair”, when compressed. He always thinks of suicide but was stopped by a student named Fuure. With the really strange and unique students in his class, Nozumu’s suicidal adventures goes on. Sequel of the summer's season.
Opinion: I would really like to see some of Kafuka's dark past, I'm pretty sure she is completely insane. Anyway, first season started really strong, but I lost my excitment half way, because it was very difficult to follow what was going on, without subs. On a sidenote, I really love the music (both background and soundtrack) and SHAFT does not stop to amaze me with its weird character designs.

true tears
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Dreams, hopes, and aspirations are things that all people draw their visions of what the “future” may hold for them. This game adaptation (though having absolutely nothing to do with the game) talks about secrets and dreams, and how your choices will close up the hearts of the girls. The game was a schedule-based dating sim (NOT hentai) where your decisions could close off the heart and the secret of each girl.
Opinion: A Romance by Broccoli? This is weird! Directed by Nishimura Junji (Simoun, Ranma, etc).Series Composition by Okada Mari (Simoun, Kodomo no Jikan). Finally, the studio, P.A.Works, has done in-between animation for some visually amazing series like Mushishi, Chevalier and GitS. This can be either wonderful or completely worthless, only time can tell.

シゴフミ
Shigofumi
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: A story about a miracle, involving Fumika, a quiet but hard working girl who wears a uniform of a mail carrier, and her talkative staff and partner Mayama. The Shigofumi is a posthumous letter, the last resort of relaying a deceased person`s last message to his/her loved ones: family, friends, and significant other.
Opinion: Based on a light novel series and produced by J.C.Staff. The crew is pretty good, they have worked in Stellvia (director, scriptwriter), Nadesico (director), Kino no Tabi (character designer), among others. The concept seems uninteresting, but I guess/hope it will be the driving force for some interesting stories, as was the case with Kino no Tabi.

みなみけ～おかわり～
Minami-ke ~Okawari~
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Minami-ke is a manga following three sisters, Haruka, Kana, and Chiaki in their lives at home and school. It’s a funny series that depicts how these characters interact with each other and their classmates. It’s a story about ordinary girls and their ordinary adventures told in an extraordinary manner. This is a different take with Kana as the youngest sister, and Chiaki the middle sister.
Opinion: I don't really know what to expect, I like Minami-ke, but it is hardly original, though still fun ... so what can an alternate telling offer?

ARIA the ORIGINATION
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Aqua and Aria take place in the twenty-fourth century, on the planet Aqua (formerly Mars), which has been terraformed into a habitable planet covered in oceans and seas. The series is the story of Akari, an apprentice gondolier with Aria Company, one of the three most popular gondola companies in the city. She is training to become a full-time gondolier, or undine, as they are called in Neo-Venezia.
Opinion: Based on the seinen mangas Aria and Aqua. I found the previous season boring, so I won't really bother with this one.

ガンスリンガー　ガール　2nd シリーズ
GUNSLINGER GIRL -IL TEATRINO-
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: When the Social Welfare Agency investigates the disappearance of an operative, their inquiry leads them right into the lair of their rival, the Five Republics. The assassin Triela infiltrates the hostile organization, but her search is cut short when she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun.
Opinion: I liked the original series back from 2004, but after four years I don't really know what to expect. The writer is the same, this time along with the director of Ghost Hunt.

狼と香辛料
Ookami to Koushinryou
AniDB, ANN, Official
Description: Lawrence is a traveling merchant who finds a 600 year old pagan deity/wolf girl named Horo in his wagon one night. She begins traveling with him, and her wisdom helps increase his profits. But her true nature draws unwanted attention from the church...
Opinion: Character Designs by Kuroda Kazuya (Chrno Crusade, Kaibutsu Oujo, Sakura Taisen, Sora/Mizu no Iro, VanDread), but director and scriptwriter have a guilty past (Cosprayers, Love Love, Jinki, Kurumi, ...). The concept seems uninteresting, but as with Shigofumi, can be the driving force for good stories, though for Ookami it is less likely.