1. Ookiku Furikabutte ~Natsu no Taikai hen~
First on my list is of course my favorite baseball anime/manga, Ookiku Furikabutte ~Natsu no Taikai hen~. The first season was aired 3 years ago and after a long wait, the second season is finally here!
Watching? Yes of course! I'm counting down to 1st April!
Release date: 1st April 2010
2. Hakuouki
Based on a female dating sim game, Hakuouki takes place during the late shogunate period of the Edo era. Yukimura Chizuru, whose father works in Kyoto as a doctor practicing western medicine, travels to the imperial capital to search for him after losing contact. There, she’s attacked by a blood-thirsty monster and saved by the local Shinsengumi. She stumbles upon their dark secret in the process and is taken into custody by them as a result, but they help her search for her father as the mysteries continue to unfold. Since this is based on a female dating sim game, it’ll mainly be a gal surrounded by a bunch of bishounen.
Watching? Yes! Even though my heart only (maybe?) has place for the Shinsengumi guys from Gintama, I don't mind watching another series with hot Shinsengumi guys
. Anyway, the guy in the picture is Hijikata Toushizou. (fangirl squeal!!!) He looks really hot!Release date: 3rd April 2010
3. Hetalia Axis Powers: World Series
Premiering back in January 2009, the popular web comic turned anime is now at its 3rd season. As you may have noticed, the title has changed to Hetalia Axis Powers: World Series. As the cast gets bigger and more countries are introduced, I think the new title is more appropriate.
Watching? Yes! I'll get to see more Nihon and Italia!
Release date: 26th March 2010 (I have just watched the first episode and my Japanese proficiency only allowed me to understand half of what's being said =x)
4. Major 6th Series
The story follows Honda Goro and his aspirations of becoming a professional baseball player like his father, starting from his childhood. The various seasons detail his progression as a pitcher in all the different leagues he competes while growing up.
Watching? Yes! I hope there will be more focus on Toshiya! :p
Release date: 3rd April 2010
5. Giant Killing
Ooh.. there are quite a number of sport series this season! Unlike Ookiku Furikabutte and Major, Giant Killing is about soccer. Mitsumi Takeshi was once a star player in his Japanese club, East Tokyo United (ETU), but left the team to become a manager for a club in England. In only a few short years, he takes a division 5 amateur club to the top 32 in the FA Cup due to his seemingly unorthodox yet effective tactics and his obsession with “giant killing”, a football term for when an underdog amateur club upsets a professional one. He’s sought after by ETU to become their new manager and revive the club that deteriorated after his departure, but the die-hard fans still feel betrayed and are outraged by his return.
Watching? Yes! I enjoy sports series and this looks like something I will like.
Release date: 4th April 2010
6. RAINBOW Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin
This is an adaptation of Abe George and Kakizaki Masumi’s award-winning manga. Taking place in 1955 after the end of World War II, it depicts the hardships that six juvenile delinquents go through after getting thrown into a corrections facility/prison, often graphically so. From everything to getting sexually abused by the male doctor and having to deal with the tyranny of the wardens, it’s meant to be a realistic view on poverty-stricken Japan following the war. Upon arrival to the prison, the six boys are thrown into Block 2 Cell 6 where they meet 'Anchan', their senior inmate who shows them some tough love on how to survive. The story follows the lives of these seven, both in prison and afterward. Abe George described this as a “story about friendship and courage”, which I could get a sense of from the first few chapters of the manga. Each of the boys was sentenced for acts of assault and theft, but the circumstances they committed their crimes under don’t necessarily make them bad kids, and you can get a feel for that from the bonds they make.
Watching? Yes! I remember this series was scheduled to be shown last year but was postponed. I'm happy that I'll finally get to watch it!
Release date: 6th April 2010
7. Working!!
It’s a slice-of-life series that centers on high school student Takanashi Souta, who gets recruited by his short and adorable senior, Taneshima Popura, to work at a Hokkaido family restaurant named Wagnaria. As a normal and diligent 16 year old, Souta soon learns that all his coworkers are a bit unusual. This includes a manager who doesn’t care to work properly, a floor chief who carries a katana with her, and a server with androphobia. However, as a self-proclaimed lover of all things small and helpless (i.e. “minicon”), Souta sticks with it and there doesn’t ever seem to be a boring day at his job. The first episode of this had a special early broadcast last month.
Watching? Most Likely! The first episode had an early broadcast last month but I haven't watch it yet. I like most slice-of-life series and I shall give this a try.
Episode 1 Early Premiere: 6th March 2010
Normal Broadcast: 4th April 2010
8. Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru
This is an adaptation of a shoujo manga about a particular family lineage, the Giou Clan, that possesses special powers and has been using them to battle demons known as Duras. The story centers around a high school student named Sakurai Yuki, who was abandoned as a child and grew up with the ability to sense the emotions and memories of people he comes into contact with, though uncontrollably so. One day, he’s saved by a young man named Zess from a demon attack he’s not even aware of and immediately feels like he knows and can rely on him. Not long after, another man comes by claiming to be his step-brother, invites him back into the Giou Clan, and offers to help hone his abilities in their battle against the Duras.
Watching? Likely. Without a doubt, this series has many good looking guys. However, the story does not appeal much.
Release date: 11th April 2010
