Autumn 2015 – Season Preview

The way most people realize that it’s the beginning of autumn is that the days begin to grow shorter, the air begins to feel cooler, and the trees transition into a palette of warm yellows, oranges and reds. But for me, the only way I realize that it’s the beginning of autumn is when the autumn anime season begins! And yes, with the start of the Autumn 2015 anime season this week, it’s time again to look ahead to this new season of anime and project, speculate, and guesstimate which anime we should watch.

As always, the order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but are categorized into sequels and new shows, and then ranked in order of my personal anticipation and how likely I believe I will watch that anime this season. Every anime is evaluated and placed into one of five tiers ordered: Will watch, Likely watch, Maybe watch, Doubtful but it gets a shot, and No dice. Within each tier, the anime are listed alphabetically. Dates are not included because who knows when and where these shows will be subbed and available to watch.

As always, every season marks the return of a number of beloved franchises, in the forms of sequels, reboots, spinoffs, and other continuations. For me, Autumn 2015 looks particularly enticing with over a half dozen of my favorite anime franchises returning. In fact, this is easily the best season for me in terms of sequels as one of my all-time favorites returns after a 9 year hiatus.

Returning in Autumn 2015 are: Ame-iro Cocoa S2, Diabolik Lovers More,Blood, Garo: Guren no Tsuki, Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka??, Haikyuu S2, Hidan no Aria AA, Hokuto no Ken: Ichigo Aji, Itoshi no Muco 3, K: Return of Kings, Ketsuekigata-kun 3, Kindachi Shounen no Jikenbo Returns 2nd Season, Miss Monochrome: The Animation 3, Noragami Aragoto, Owarimonogatari, Owari no Seraph S2, Pokemon XY&Z, Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou, Shinmai Maou no Testament Burst, Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus 2nd Season, Teekyuu S6, Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen, Young Black Jack, and Yuru Yuri San Hai.

Seeing as I haven’t watched most of the originals to these anime, I will obviously skip them and recommend you check out the originals if you’re interested in any of these franchises. Instead, this section is reserved for the anime that I will be continuing this autumn, with PVs, thoughts, and assessments for each.

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka?? (S2)

Opinion: One of my favorite anime from Spring 2014 returns with the second season of Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka??. One the surface, the anime appears to be nothing more than an ultra-moe slice-of-life comedy about cute girls working in various cafes in a quintessential European backdrop. However, the anime has charisma and chemistry, and kept me laughing and smiling throughout. If the anime can keep the same pace as it did last year, then this is an easy decision for me to continue this autumn.

Plans for this show: Will watch

K: Return of Kings

Opinion: The one fatal flaw with the original season of K was its lackluster story, but the anime made up for that with style, flare, and an uncomfortable amount of blue tint over everything. I absolutely loved K for its visuals, with its kaleidoscope of colors, its seamless fighting sequences, and wholly unique art direction. Combine that with an intriguing setting and fun characters, and it’s no wonder why K was one of my favorite anime of 2012. If the movie from 2014 was any indication, this second season should address my issues with the story, which might be enough for it to be one of my favorite of 2015, too.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Noragami Aragoto

Opinion: Noragami was one of my favorite anime of 2014 (do you see a pattern yet with the sequels this season?) and Hiyori one of my favorite characters of the year, too, so I gladly welcome the return of Noragami. Although I felt slighted at the ending of the first season, I found the story, character, comedy, and setting to be promising, and am excited to see where the series goes from here. I can’t wait for it to start again and reclaim its enchantment.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Owarimonogatari

Opinion: The Monogatari Series has been one of my all-time favorites, and I am still enchanted with the story arcs and character development from the last TV season. It’s a truly magnificent franchise, thanks in large part due to the elegant writing, the spellbinding visuals, and the exceptional cast of characters. I’m eager to what happens to all the characters. No doubt, this is one to watch this season.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Soukyuu no Fafner: Dead Aggressor – Exodus 2nd Season

Opinion: Again, another sequel that I am highly anticipating based on the astonishingly great first season last Winter. Fafner might be the biggest surprise of the year, chiefly because I almost never start new anime franchises in the middle, and I almost immediately fell in love with everything about the anime. I am hoping to see the anime challenge its cast of characters again with escalating difficulty as the mecha battles were, by far, the highlight of the series for me.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Teekyuu S6

Opinion: Teekyuu is my favorite short anime, so I am always happy to see another season of this outstanding and insane comedy.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen

Opinion: Utawarerumono was one of the first anime I watched when I began watching anime again in early 2006. It easily became my first new favorite anime and helped generate my interest in currently airing anime in Japan as well as other shows that I have missed. Utawarerumono played an integral part in helping me ease back into watching anime, and I’ve always had a fond memory of this franchise ever since. And in addition to that, Utawarerumono is one of my all-time favorite anime thanks to its captivating and intricate fantasy setting, its mesmerizing story, its phenomenal cast of characters, and its truly impressive battle sequences. I am thrilled that Utawarerumono is returning as a TV anime for the first time in 9 years. I will say I am a bit cautious that new season is an alternative setting to the original, but it appears to retain all the elements that made me fall in love with Utawarerumono the first time around. This anime will be magical.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Yuru Yuri San Hai

Opinion: How many times to I have to say that an anime is one of my favorite this season? No, of course, that isn’t a bad thing as Yuru Yuri is one of my favorite comedy anime, and I am delighted to see it return after 3 years off. The vibrant and hilarious comedy is certain to keep me entertained as I’ve dearly enjoyed the OVAs that aired this summer. This is definitely an anime I am excited for this autumn.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Miss Monochrome: The Animation 3

Opinion: While the first season of Miss Monochrome was charming with its silly comedy spanning 3 minute episodes, the second season disappointed with its generic non-stories that dragged out 8 minutes each time. I’m not too fond of the series stretching out its content like this, especially since it tries to fill the space with an actual story and not a silly wannabe-idol robot failing at everything she does. I wish the series had more of the style and comedy from the first season and not the second season, but it isn’t a deal-breaker for me.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

The following two sections of the preview contains a list of all the new, original anime that will debut during the Autumn 2015 anime season, with the first section on the anime I am planning on screening and the latter section the anime I have already rejected. Autumn 2015 has quite a number of new anime, but I can’t say I’m terribly impressed with them, with hope that a small handful will be worthwhile in the end. Then again, I think this season will be carried by the sequels, so maybe it won’t matter too much how these anime perform. Still, I expect a couple to be good, and maybe a few others to be decent at best after that. As you might guess, I’m not terribly excited with most of the new anime this season, but hopefully the season can prove me wrong. My plans to start this season are as follows:

Lupin III (2015)

Opinion: I’ve only watched a dozen or so episodes of the original Lupin III anime, so I’m far from a fan of the franchise, but whenever I watched anything Lupin, I’ve enjoyed it. This reboot of the Lupin III anime, featuring a smooth and eye-catching animation style, certainly has appeal in terms of its visuals and presentation. I’m not sure whether the format will be episodic or follow a central storyline at this point, but it looks to be one of the better new anime this season regardless.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (Kidou Senshi Gundam: Tekketsu no Orphans)

Opinion: Beginning a new Gundam universe (Post Disaster), Iron-Blooded Orphans sets itself in a conflict between Earth and Mars. Often a fan of mecha anime, especially from the Gundam franchise, I’m curious to see how this universe uses its mobile suits, how warfare is portrayed, and how everything looks. The PV doesn’t really answer these questions, but I’ve typically been pleased with the newer Gundam anime that I’ve watched. At this point, I really can’t say too much more, but it looks to be worth a few episodes to start.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Shingeki! Kyojin Chuugakkou (Attack on Titan: Junior High)

Opinion: This is a chibi, comedy spin-off of the poplar Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) franchise. I always welcome chibi, comedy spin-offs of popular franchises and find this promising after the lovely Shingeki no Kyoujin Picture Drama that was featured on the Blurays of the TV anime. If this is anything like that series, then this is definitely a keeper. If not, then we’ll see how it stands on its own and whether the comedy matches my taste or not.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Comet Lucifer

Opinion: The primary appeal of Comet Lucifer is its use of color and light from the PV. The synopsis doesn’t really hook me in, and the PV seems decent though not very informative. Still, it did enough to catch my attention to give it an episode or two. After seeing what the anime is really like, then I’ll have a decision of whether I want to keep it or not.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Concrete Revolutio: Choujin Gensou (Concrete Revolutio: A Superhuman Fantasy)

Opinion: Concrete Revolutio certainly looks like it’ll be fun to watch with this festival of colors, styles, motifs and visual details. And it certainly has a unique style given its superhuman characters, mecha battles, and giant, happy, suicidal clouds. The anime certainly has personality, but I’m curious if everything will come together and whether the anime is full of energy (like the PV) or whether it comes out flat. An episode or two should be sufficient to decide whether to keep this or not.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Fushigi na Somera-chan (Magical Somera-chan)

Opinion: From the director of Ai Mai Mi comes another absolutely crazy anime, this time about a magical girl who uses kenpo. I can’t say I was terribly happy with the second season of Ai Mai Mi, but this new anime appears to be a calmer and more focused anime, which should mean it’s an improvement. Still, this animation style is best when it’s absolutely crazy, so I’m curious to see if this is going to be in the same comical style as Ai Mai Mi or if it’ll attempt to tell a story with jokes scattered throughout. I’m curious to see how this performs, and will be giving it an episode to start.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Hacka Doll The Animation

Opinion: I’m not expecting much in the way of substance with this anime, but it looks bright, colorful, and full of energy (well, except the narcoleptic blue haired girl). I typically enjoy comedy anime with this style, but I’ll need to see if I can sit through an episode first before I can decide whether I want to keep it or not.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Heavy Object

Opinion: There’s not much to get excited about Heavy Object, given its generic synopsis and characters, but I am intrigued by its setting with snowy landscapes and sci-fi military weaponry. I don’t think the anime will get more than one episode, but I’m curious to see what an anime about the Technodrome is like.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

JK Meshi!

Opinion: Uh… JK-Meshi! doesn’t look terribly impressive, but it’s an anime about girls cooking simple meals. I’m hoping it’s a short anime, because this style and focus could work well if it’s only a few minutes each week. If it’s a long anime, I don’t know how well it’ll hold-up, especially if it’s just girls cooking the whole time or other ordinary slice-of-life activities. It’ll really depend on the length of the episodes whether this is a keeper or not.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Kagewani

Opinion: A mystery anime about a scientist who hunts down supernatural monsters. I’d be lying if I said the synopsis doesn’t sound somewhat interesting, but I am a bit concerned considering that the staff behind this anime were also behind Yami Shibai, a short horror anime from a few years ago that was really disappointing and forgettable. I’m willing to give this anime a try, but I don’t’ find myself too confident based on the lack of information about it and the staff working on it.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Komori-san wa Kotowarenai! (Komori-san Can’t Decline!)

Opinion: From the creator of Danna ga Nani wo Itteiru ka Wakaranai Ken comes a new comedy anime about a junior high girl who is polite to everyone and can never decline a request. It… it really depends on the comedy, but I already like the visual style and find promise consider the creator’s other work. Also, if it’s a short anime, it’ll be easy to watch, even if it’s not very good. Still, it sounds like it’ll be fun.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan

Opinion: It’s really hard to get an idea for this anime without a PV, but it appears to be a moe slife comedy where an ancient fairy spirit is suddenly placed in urban Japan and must adapt to the drastic change in culture. Also, considering that the main character is a hot-springs fairy, I’m guessing there’ll be plenty of fanservice, so we’ll see how it goes. The one strong positive I’ve discovered about this anime is that the manga is short and it has concluded, so there’s a chance that this anime will have a real ending… but that’ll only matter if I’m actually keeping it.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

One Punch Man

Opinion: Probably the most hyped new anime of the season, One Punch Man certainly impresses with its visual style. And for good reason. Everything I’ve heard about the manga has been about the outrageous artwork and stunning perspectives, at times, giving the manga a flow of still images that mimic animation. I’m really curious to see how this translates as a TV anime. However, despite all the hype and celebration over this popular shounen manga, I’ve never really heard much about the characters or story – everything has been on the fights and a bit here and there on the humor. I’m definitely interested in this anime, but I don’t want to get myself too excited, especially if the series isn’t my style. I typically don’t fare too well with shounen anime, so I’ll be cautious heading into this one, but I certainly hope it blows away my expectations.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru (A Corpse is Buried Under Sakurako’s Feet)

Opinion: I feel really conflicted about Sakurako-san. On one hand, I am always curious about mystery anime, and this one seems to have a decent set-up given the bone-crazy ojou-sama at the center of the anime. On the other hand, it feels pretty generic and boring… and the PV doesn’t help with its visual style seeming as lackluster as I imagine it to be. I’ve heard second-hand that the series is popular, so maybe it’s worth a few episodes, but everything I’ve seen and read about it thus far fails to inspire much confidence.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Subete ga F ni Naru: The Perfect Insider

Opinion: Again, another mystery anime that may or may not be worth watching. It really depends on the presentation of the mystery and the characters present… and at this point, that’s impossible to decide until after watching the first episode or two.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai (Anti-Magic Academy 35th Test Platoon)

Opinion: I usually immediately dismiss these magical academy anime… but this is something entirely different: it’s an anti-magical academy! Erm, no, the reason why I’m curious if this light novel-adaptation of an ecchi, harem in a fantasy-military-school setting is worthwhile is because I kinda like the art and animation of the PV. I’ll admit that the characters caught my attention when watching the PV and I’m curious if this anime might have some value to it. I’ll probably end up hating myself by the end of the first episode because these types of anime are banal and derivative, but I’d like to give this an episode to see if it’s watchable.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

The first two sections confirm the lists of anime that I am planning on watching based on my knowledge and understanding of the shows. All that remains in this season preview are the anime that I have already decided against. The reason why these anime are slotted here is because they either appear to already be flawed, boring, or simply outside my demographic. While these anime may in fact be watchable to some, they do not appear watchable for me. I doubt I’ll examine these anime any more than the PV linked in their sections. However, there’s always a chance for me to pick one or two up every season, so not all hope is lost for these shows if you see one of your favorites down here. However, for most of them, there’s already zero chance I’ll even think about them after writing my opinions for each.

Dance with Devils