Spring 2005

With the rather weak winter schedule and the majority of my watchlist nearing the end, I’m excited that I may soon have space for a slew of new series this spring. Of the winter series, I ended up passing on Mahoraba and Air (I’m probably the only one…), while Iriya and Gallery Fake have been almost devoid of subbing action. Of what I do watch, only Samurai Champloo has been truly excellent (but is almost over), while both Buzzer Beater and Ultimate Girls are nice filler series that require little brain power to watch. Mahou Sensei Negima has been mediocre so far, but hopefully the new animation crew can make like Emeril and kick it up a notch. I’ve listed the series that caught my eye for a few seconds. Keep in mind that these opinions are, in general, extremely uninformed. With that said, here’s what I’m considering as an “add” to my spring watchlist:

• Tenjo Tenge Ultimate Fight: The anime was fugly, but I saw the first OVA and the art was considerably better. I don’t think I will blog on it, but it may be worth watching on the side.
• Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan: I like to have a silly show in my lineup, and while this story of angels beating the crap out of a potential loli-izer may go stale, the art is really pretty. This one is looking like a probable.
• Crow -KARAS- #1: Another OVA, which increases its watch potential (low commitment). I was also attracted by the shiny silver fish ornaments *_*.
• MÄR: First thought in my mind: “Whoa, Hunter X Hunter X Recca”. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s almost definitely a shounen thing. Nobuyuki Anzai usually tells a good story, but hopefully he’s expanded on his character design repertoire. There is a small chance of fan-wanking with cameos by characters like Raiha. Kungfucius may be interested in this one.
• The Law of Ueki: Don’t know a thing about it, but that picture reminds me so much of Yakitate, hahaha! Solar Hands!!!
• Sousei no Aquarion: I’m not sure about this one. It will be a battle between my love of beautiful character art and my wariness of transforming mecha.
• Erementar Gerad: Reverie seems to provide us with the mascot of good luck, a blue-haired quiet girl. This by itself warrants consideration. The character designs look rather unoriginal, but I want to play the cute GBA RPG and the PS2 fighting game.
• Futakoi Alternative: So will there be lots of Sara & Souju angst? The trailer was kinda long and moody, but really cute at the same time. Futakoi has strong probable status for watching, although I am not sure I will post about it.
• He Is My Master: Haven’t watched any meido in a long time. This one looks funny and cute, so there’s a good chance I will watch it. The manga is absolutely hilarious (I love Pochi!).
• Tsubasa Chronicle: Obviously this one is a must watch. Let’s hope the art stays good and the shounen-ai flirtation is kept to an acceptable level. Give me more CLAMP fan-wanking!
• Honey & Clover: I will give it a chance, but the slow pace may conk me out. Art looks good.
• Eureka Seven: A BONES-Bandai co-production, the story for this one has potential. I will definitely check this one out.
• Trinity Blood: Reminds me vaguely of Chrno Crusade, which is good, but the art is so Castlevania-Final Fantasy that I’m taken aback. Can the story trump the cheese?
• Zettai Shounen: Another one where I know nothing about the story but am drawn to the art. This one may only get a quick look, however.
• Speed Grapher: The site is down, but you can check out Garten’s site for all you need to know about this series. The description warrants a strong probable as well.

So, there you have it. I likely won’t post on the majority of these shows, but with so many spaces in my watchlist opening up, I’m excited to start watching some new series. The way it’s looking now, Mahou Sensei Negima and Buzzer Beater (and possibly Ultimate Girls, but that doesn’t really count) may end up being the only consistently subbed series I end up holding over, so there is a good chance I will pick up 4-5 new series as Mai Hime, Samurai Champloo, School Rumble, and Beck come to a close. Those four are heavy hitters, and I don’t consider Buzzer Beater a very strong series, so there will be big shoes to fill. Speed Grapher, Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan, and Tsubasa look to have watch slots locked up so far, so it will boil down to whether I want more mecha, meido, persecons, twins, or blue hair this spring.

Related posts:

1. Summer 2007
2. A Look Ahead @ Next Season
3. Fall 2005: Initial Reactions