Spring 2009

[blkmage]

I didn't know for the longest time that Rie Kugimiya was Al. It makes me wish she'd do more roles that aren't URUSAI URUSAI URUSAI characters.

[blkmage]

Eden of the East trailer: http://juiz.jp/special/

I've gotta say, that trailer just put Eden of the East on my 'will watch' list.

[MasterDias]

So, Funimation has a new poll up on their blog which pertains to currently airing series.

Shangri-La should more or less be an inevitable license, and Eden of the East, Basquash! and Guin Saga have good chances of being acquired eventually, but I'm somewhat curious about all of the left out titles on the poll.
K-On, Asura Cryin, Valkyria Chronicles, Shin Mazinger, Saki...
I'm finding them rather odd omissions.

[minakichan]

Shangri-La should more or less be an inevitable license, and Eden of the East, Basquash! and Guin Saga have good chances of being acquired eventually, but I'm somewhat curious about all of the left out titles on the poll.

Why do you say that? Eden of the East is clearly superior to Shangri-La.

All kidding aside, wow, Funi acknowledges that anime exists in Japan. Shocker.

[blkmage]

Based on Funimation's past licenses, it doesn't seem like K-ON is the sort of thing that would end up with them. The only KyoAni titles that they have are Air and Kanon, and only because those got transferred to them. And then, K-ON is more like Haruhi or Lucky Star than the Key triumvirate. For the same reason, Hayate no Gotoku Second Season is strange, since Bandai has the license for the first season and Hayate is pretty big.

Cross Game is an interesting choice, since the manga is really popular in Japan, but isn't available in North America and, based on the groups that are subbing it, isn't that popular here yet. Saki I'd assume they'd get since it's Gonzo and they're streaming all Crunchyroll stuff, right? Valkyria Chronicles may have something to do with the fact that it's based on a game, so Sega or whoever may have some plans for it.

But are they expecting people to answer based on summaries of shows or are they acknowledging that people who watch fansubs can be considered legitimate human beings? ┐( ´ー`)┌

[Fish and Chips]

[quote="blkmage (post: 1306460)"]But are they expecting people to answer based on summaries of shows or are they acknowledging that people who watch fansubs can be considered legitimate human beings? ┐]
VIZ Media has already acknowledged that people who read Manga online do exist, if only because one of their chief editors is one of these people.

[Roy Mustang]

Whatever they do, they better not waste a license on Queen's Blade.

That is one title that should never be release.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]
Col. Roy Mustang [/color][/font]

[blkmage]

Whatever they do, they better not waste a license on Queen's Blade.

That is one title that should never be release.

[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]
Col. Roy Mustang [/color][/font]

Well, they did license Strike Witches, so they're not off to a great start in that department.

[MasterDias]

I'm fairly certain Gonzo pawned off Strike Witches to Funimation really cheaply once they realized that loli fanservice shows will not sell anywhere near the amount elsewhere that they do in Japan.

[blkmage]

So, not surprisingly, FMA seems to be the big hit this season, with K-ON!, Eden of the East, and the second season of Hayate the Combat Butler not far behind. But, I'd like to try and push Cross Game and Natsu no Arashi.

Everyone should watch Cross Game, because there's very little to dislike. It's a great mix of slice of life and baseball. The characters are great and their development is excellent. I'm reading the manga, which is still being serialized, and I think it's terrible that more people aren't watching it.

A lot of people have been put off by Natsu no Arashi's first episode, but it's turned into something fairly interesting, with the time travel concept and the visiting WW2-era Japan. The last few episodes have been really good and it's a shame that more people haven't given it a chance.

[blkmage]

So last time we checked, the re-airing of Haruhi was confirmed to be 28 episodes long by some TV stations. Today, we learn that next week's episode, according to some TV stations, is the Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody. Those of you familiar with the light novels and the anime will know that that's a chapter title in the third book, The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi, and wasn't animated in the first season.

If you'd like to keep track, this week's episode was The Boredom of Suzumiya Haruhi, which was the baseball episode from the first season and is the first chapter of the book of the same name. The Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody is the chapter that comes right after Boredom in the book. The chapters that follow are the ones about the disappearance of the computer club's president and the murder mystery on the island, both of which were animated in the first season. Also, the events of the third book come before those of the second, The Sigh of Suzumiya Haruhi, when arranged chronologically.

[minakichan]

I DON'T BELIEVE THEM.

It'll be a Nice Boat Rhapsody.

[MasterDias]

So, Funimation has "updated" their licensing survey.
Now, it not only includes K-ON! and Valkyria Chronicles, but a fairly random selection mostly consisting of series from the past year or so. Notably, Toradora! is on it now...as is Kaiba, Regios, Rideback, Casshern Sins and so on... but the most unexpected and random thing are re-dubs of Sailor Moon and Initial D.

[blkmage]

Haruhi season 2.

It's real.

How do I know?

I have a live stream of it right now.

EDIT: more info: http://www.moetron.com/2009/05/21/new-haruhi-episode-finally-airs-screenshots-available/

[blkmage]

So we've got rankingsfrom Dengeki.

"Satisfaction" Ranking for Spring Titles in 2009 (expectation ranks are in parentheses)
*1, (*7) K-ON!
*2, (23) Higashi no Eden
*3, (*5) Saki
*4, (*1) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
*5, (*6) Sengoku BASARA
*6, (*4) Dragon Ball Kai
*7, (*3) Valkyria Chronicles
*8, (24) Basquash!
*9. (*8) Asura Cryin'
10, (19) Cross Game

Ref. "Expectation" ranking for Spring titles released this April

*1, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
*2, Hayate the Combat Butler!!
*3, Valkyria Chronicles
*4, Dragon Ball Kai
*5, Saki
*6, Sengoku Basara
*7, K-ON!
*8, Asura Cryin'
*9, Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z-Hen
10, Tears to Tiara
11, Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity-
12, Phantom ～Requiem for the Phantom～
13, Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S
14, Queen's Blade: Rurou no Senshi
15, Guin Saga
16, Shangri-La
17, Konnichiwa Anne
18, Souten Kouro
19, Cross Game
20, Hatsukoi Limited

Biggest surprise for me is that Hayate 2nd Season didn't make the top ten.

[EricTheFred]

Biggest surprise for me is that Hayate 2nd Season didn't make the top ten.

For me it would be Polyphonica, which I felt outdid both the original and my expectations. But, I look at the list and can't quite pick one that it would replace. Frankly, although I didn't think there were any real grand slams, there were plenty of nearly-great series. The only ones I think "oh this wasn't as good as..." are things that just weren't for me, such as Saki. I have to admit the bits I saw were very well done.

The one I thought would fair better was Asura Cryin', which came out much better than I expected (I thought it would just be a super-robot slugfest). But, perhaps the fact that it is not yet a completed series like a number of these others factors in.

By the way, I assume this list just counts things that were begun in Spring, not 2-core series started in the fall? I ask because Koukaku no Regios easily beats at least half the series on this list, IMHO.

[blkmage]

Right, season rankings only count for shows that start in those seasons. I'd have to say that looking back, I started out checking out a lot of shows, only to drop most of them. I'm probably watching more summer shows than spring, and spring is supposed to be the huge season.

I hear the first season of Polyphonica is actually really, really bad and is where that famous bad car chase scene comes from. If that's the case, I can see why a lot of people passed over it. Asura Cryin' didn't really grab me and I'm surprised it beat out Cross Game, which is supposedly super popular, being an Adachi manga and all.