Spring 2014 – Season Preview

With Winter 2014 zigzagging along and reaching the finales in the next couple of weeks, now is an ideal time to look ahead to and prepare for the Spring 2014 anime season.  Once April arrives, dozens of new anime will begin and several franchises will return to TVs in the forms of sequels, alternative stories or simple rebroadcasts.  Based on numbers alone, Spring 2014 appears to be one of the largest anime seasons in terms of total volume.  In addition to the abundance of this season, there is quite a diversity of anime, too, making this season more of an unknown or a mystery than others.  So what exactly does this new anime season have to offer?  Below is an extensive list of the anime for Spring 2014 along with my thoughts and opinions for each one.

Many familiar names and franchise will return in Spring 2014, including a handful I plan on watching (or in the case of one, rewatching).  Returning this season are: Break Blade (Broken Blade), Cardfight!! Vanguard: Legion Mate-Hen, Date A Live II, Fairy Tail New Series, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, Keroro, Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo R, Love Live! S2, Mushishi: Zoku-Shou, Puchimas!! and Soul Eater Not!.  The best piece of advice for returning shows like these is to probably watch the original works or first seasons first to gain an idea whether the shows are worth watching or not.  Having only watched a few of these shows myself, I believe it is best to let these franchises speak for themselves with their own material.  That being said, since I haven’t watched most of these shows, I feel it’s probably best to leave them alone and lets fans of the franchises promote or hype these works.  However, there are two new franchises that I am planning on watching this season, as well as a few others that I will continue.

 

Break Blade (Broken Blade)

Opinion: I watched the movies as they were released between 2010 and 2011, though I forgot about the last two until recently (that’s what happens when you release anime months apart!).  Since I never did finish the original series, I plan on rewatching this TV adaptation.  I don’t expect much in the way of new material or additional story elements, but the movies were beautiful, and I enjoyed the series deeply.  I hope there is more to the TV series than what was shown in the movies but I’m expecting only a minimal amount at most.  That being said, I don’t expect too many people who watched the original series to pick this up, but I do hope this is one of the better and more popular anime of the season.

Plans for this show: Will watch

 

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders

Opinion: Being my second favorite anime of 2013 and one of the top of 2012, there is no question on whether I’d watch the sequel to the original JoJo’s TV anime.  Covering the third and most popular arc in the franchise, this season seems to be generating a lot of excitement and hype, especially based off the success of the TV anime last year.  Although I expect there to be some elements changed in the art/animation (hopefully improvements) and a completely different storyline and characters, I expect this to be one of my favorite anime of the entire year.  And even if there were people who missed the anime last year, I think anyone could pick up this season without too much of a problem, though I strongly recommend watching the 2012/2013 anime first.

Plans for this show: Will watch

 

Mushishi: Zoku-Shou

Opinion: At the time of this article, I have not watched the original Mushishi… yet.  However, since this is one of the most celebrated and admired anime of all-time, I plan on watching and completing the original anime before the time this sequel airs in April.  The original anime aired about a decade ago and has been on my backlog for quite some time.  I’ve always meant to watch the original anime, but haven’t had the time to tackle my backlog due to a number of other reasons and circumstances.  However, with the sequel airing next month, I have moved it to the front of my list and have set aside some time to complete the first season.  With that said, you can say I’m excited for Mushishi: Zoku Shou.

Plans for this show: Will watch

 

Puchimas!!

Opinion: Returning this season is the adorable comedy of chibi Idolm@sters, Puchimas!!.  The anime is somewhat diminutive when it comes to material, seeing as the episodes are 2 minutes long (the PV above is about the length of one episode) and the comedy is hit-or-miss.  However, the series is cute and enjoyable, even if the jokes aren’t amusing or the episodes long enough to finish a scene.  It’s one of those fun, mindless anime that are always worthwhile, even if they aren’t at their best.

Plans for this show: Will watch

 

Soul Eater Not!

Opinion: Although I have yet to watch the original Soul Eater anime, I’m planning on giving Soul Eater Not! a chance.  The reason for this decision despite the two anime sharing the same universe is largely based on the fact that they aren’t necessarily linear in terms of storyline or characters.  Soul Eater Not! takes place before the Soul Eater story meaning we may not need to know the events of Soul Eater to understand Soul Eater Not!.  Although there will be some references, cameos and parodies of the original series in this that I will miss, I feel comfortable with watching Soul Eater Not! if it’s a decent or respectable anime.  And considering that I enjoy comedies, I figure that this anime will be worth it.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

And with that, the section on continuing anime is complete.  What remains now are all the new anime of Spring 2014, easily the bulk of the new season.  Based on my initial assessment, I can’t say I’m too thrilled with the new anime of this season, but that’s bound to change once the episodes come out and we all get a better idea of what’s good, what’s bad and what’s absolutely terrible.  Sometimes, the previews and PVs can be a bit misleading or over-inflating, so take this preview with a grain of salt or use it as a collection of anime PVs like I do before I start each new anime series.

The order of anime listed below is neither chronological nor alphabetic but 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 (which really is the most important!).  So, yeah… here is my preview for the new anime for Spring 2014:

 

Captain Earth

Opinion: Easily the most electrifying and enthralling new anime of the spring, Captain Earth comes from the same team that produced another favorite of mine, Star Driver.  Captain Earth shares a number of parallels and similarities as the previously mentioned anime, especially in terms of style, presentation and energy, but Captain Earth seems to be grounded a bit more in reality albeit robots fighting in cislunar space.  The artwork is elegant and colorful, the cast looks charming and fun, the story sounds intriguing with potential to be outstanding, and the action looks superb as an added entertainment value.  I am seriously excited and amped up for this way more than any other new anime this season and it isn’t even close.  This is still the only PV I’ll watch for a new anime this season and find myself smiling at the end.  I can’t wait for this anime to start.

Plans for this show: Will watch

 

Akuma no Riddle

Opinion: Perhaps the most remarkable takeaway from this PV is the music which is one of the most unique I’ve heard.  And anime PVs with music that catches my attention typically bode well.  The scenario for Akuma no Riddle is a bit underwhelming but it has potential to deliver in terms of action and excitement.  It’s the same for the characters too, who seem a bit plain right now, but should grow as the story does.  The art style has a generous presentation and the character design is attractive.  Overall, nothing to get too excited about, but considering how uncharacteristically weak this season is, it looks to be one of the better anime this spring.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Black Bullet

Opinion: Black Bullet looks generic as an anime… but that doesn’t mean it also looks good.  From the PV alone, I can already tell that the animation style, the character designs, the setting and the action sequences are all positives.  All that really remains are the characters, the story and all the fluff that goes on between fights and other exciting things.  This has potential to be one of the better anime this season if those latter criteria are adequate or even somewhat substandard.  If not, I probably won’t regret my decision with this anime, but it’ll likely fall to the middle of the pack and be forgotten.  You’re only goal now is to make a lasting impression on me which is something I hope this anime can accomplish.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Escha & Logy no Atelier: Tasogare no Sora no Renkinjutsushi

Opinion: I’m not expecting anything big from Atelier, but it looks to be an endearing, tranquil and amusing anime.  Based on the PS3 video game, I’ll be thrilled if the anime isn’t too story heavy and is more a slice-of-life of these characters set in this vivid fantasy world.  That being said, the anime might do well if it follows the game’s story heavily if it is adapted well.  What I’m hoping to get from this anime is some simple fun with some delightful characters in a gorgeous fantasy world, and it looks like the anime will deliver exactly that.  Hopefully the anime doesn’t go overboard with its story… but even if it does, I think the anime will be worth watching this season.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Isshukan Friends.

Opinion: Isshukan Friends appears to be a serene and charming anime, thanks to upbeat and vibrant aesthetics, a simple yet mature character design and the PV’s soft piano track.  It doesn’t appear to be anything groundbreaking, but it’s the kind of anime that’s a solid choice for something calm, relaxing, and funny.  I’m sure the anime will want to incorporate drama and romance too, alternating between heartwarming and bittersweet, but I hardly ever find myself emotionally invested in these types of shows, so it’ll need to thrive on its charismatic, soothing mood and lighthearted comedy in order to be a success for me.  At this point, I think this show will do just fine.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Mangakan-san to Assistant-san to

Opinion: Mangkan-san is an anime that doesn’t possess too many positives, but it hardly has any negatives, either.  Whether I watch this anime will depend heavily on how the anime views itself, likely to be a comedy and slice-of-life, but it depends on how educational it wants to be or if it wants to dabble in other genre, especially since it sounds ecchi or fanservicey.  Everything about the anime seems okay thus far, so it’s really hard to judge how it’ll do until it airs in April.  Also, I hope it’s one of those short anime since then I know I won’t be bored if it’s only a few minutes long every week.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

No Game, No Life

Opinion: What stands out about No Game, No Life is the fantasy setting that the anime seems to predominately take place in (save for the beginning in boring, old Japan).  The setting is both dazzling and colorful, pleasing to the eyes, and features a number of intricate details to show the thought and effort put into this anime.  There are also fantasy characters (catgirls and elves and probably some others that weren’t cute enough to be put in the PV) and fighting abilities to give the anime some flavor beyond a tasty setting.  I doubt the characters or story will ever really amount to anything since they do seem to be from the same cookie-cutter as many other brother-sister combinations, so I want this anime to prove me wrong and prove to me they have value.  If No Game, No Life can accomplish that feat, then it’ll probably be one of the better anime this season.  If not, I don’t mind dropping it early on.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii

Opinion: Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii is very well designed for an anime.  The visuals in the PV are aesthetically gorgeous with a mature character design and remarkable use of colors and lighting.  The setting appears to be magnificent too, taking place in a fantasy world with medieval architecture and a touch of magic.  The story revolves around a royal marriage between two strangers, which certainly has potential, and the characters seem to be decent, especially if they antagonize each other to start.  I tend to favor shoujo romances more than any other type of romance, so I might enjoy this anime as it continues.  Still, I’ll need to watch a couple of episodes before I know this will be right for me or not.  Based on what I’ve read and what I’ve seen, Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii looks to be one of the better anime this season.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

 

Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou

Opinion: Based on the synopsis alone, I was prepared to hate myself for watching an anime about various wacky and zany perverts living together in a dormitory, but the PV paints the anime with a completely different brush than I was anticipating.  I still don’t think I’ll like any of the characters, the story or the setting, but… I am really curious to see what the material is like now and how the anime presents itself.  It doesn’t seem to be the type of anime that I enjoy since it is one lead guy, a perverted male “friend” and lots of silly girls, but if the series can make me laugh or smile, it might be worth keeping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun

Opinion: I like robots and I like feudal Japan… but after hyping up Nobunaga the Fool and being severely disappointed, I find myself wanting to like Fuun Ishin Dai Shogun but, in reality, I’m cautious instead.  The anime appears to pass the eye-test in terms of characters, art, animation and action, but I have a feeling this anime lacks the substance and importance being awesome robot fights and a semi-unique setting.  It’ll get an episode to prove its worth since it deserves that much for catching my interest.  That being said, I expect this anime to be dropped after one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?

Opinion: So Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka? appears to be the incredibly moe, slice-of-life anime this season with a quintet of cutesy school(?)girls residing at a café in a picturesque town with Bavarian architecture.  Obviously I’m not expecting anything thrilling or intellectual about this anime, but it looks like it has value in being a relaxing and amusing anime that doesn’t require much thought besides laughing or smiling every so often.  I often appreciate anime like these everyone once in a while, with Non Non Biyori and Kiniro Mosaic as examples of a similar style that I watched and enjoyed recently.  If the anime is of this quality and caliber, I can see it being a worthwhile addition to the spring line-up.  However, if it doesn’t have that charm, I’ll quickly find myself bored with the material and it’ll likely be dropped.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Gokukoku no Brynhildr

Opinion: Gokukoku no Brynhildr has a number of positives and negatives, but ultimately ends up on my good side to start the season.  While I’m not a fan of disappearing/reappearing childhood friends and generic male leads (the two biggest problems to start) the sci-fi themes do catch my attention and I’m interested to see the mechanics of this show and how they impacts the story.  It might be decent, which is more than I can say for most of the anime this season.  It’s ARMS, so I’m expecting substandard animation and awkward fanservice, but they’ve improved greatly in recent seasons and that hasn’t stopped me from watching an anime before.  The music from the PV catches my attention, too, which is always a plus.  If it has a strong first episode, I’ll probably be adding it to my schedule for this spring.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Haikyuu!!

Opinion: I really don’t feel strongly one way or another with this anime.  It looks like this anime could go either way as a good one or a bad one, but the synopsis and the PVs doesn’t really help all that much.  And outside of that, I haven’t found much on this anime that really sways me to the positive or negative.  The best recommendation that I have for this anime is to watch it when it comes out and to decide then whether to keep it or not.  Right now, all it’s getting is one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Hitsugi no Chaika

Opinion: The anime looks to be incredibly generic… a boring male lead meets a mysterious and strange new girl, then there’s some random magic powers with even more random laws governing use and strength, and probably some simple fighting to start and comedy to follow while the cast expands exponentially… yeah, at this point, it doesn’t really have anything original or innovative to offer.  Still, the anime looks to offer some value in terms of action and humor, so it’ll get an episode.  Hopefully then it can prove to be valuable elsewhere, too.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san

Opinion: Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san looks pretty awful from the PV alone and doesn’t really seem all that great with the synopsis, but it does appear have some cute comedy as a supplement the main focus, yuri romance.  So yeah, that hope of genuine comedy is all I’m hoping for with this anime, and yes, that’s enough to give the anime an episode to start.  That being said, I don’t think I’ll be keeping this one since it just doesn’t look very good elsewhere, although I must admit, I find the dog tail/cat tail mechanics to be adorable and quite distinctive.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Kamigami no Asobi

Opinion: Although this anime will be a reverse harem, a genre that doesn’t appeal to me, I see enough from the synopsis and PV to warrant an episode or two.  What I find most appealing about this anime is the setting where the lead female is warped to a different world where she goes to school with various gods.  It’s not exactly rousing or excitable, but it has the potential to be something worthwhile depending on the actual story besides the girl choosing between six sexy guys.  The music might be my favorite for the PVs this season, too.  The art and animation are both solid, but I probably won’t be paying too much attention to it if the screen is filled with bishounen the whole time.  Let’s see how the first episode performs and then we’ll see if this anime is worth keeping or dropping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Mahou Shoujo Taisen

Opinion: The basis of this anime is that it derives from a project where various towns in Japan were humanized into magical anime girls.  I… I think watching an episode and see what this anime is about is the first order of business.  There is no PV and no synopsis of an actual story or scenario, so I’m completely in the dark about this one.  So I’m giving it an episode, though I’m not expecting much.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei

Opinion: Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei is somewhat of a letdown already.  While I do enjoy seeing an extensive and somewhat normal cast, an elaborate setting focused intensely on magic and a powerful, clean art style, I don’t think I’ll get far with a sibling relationship that the synopsis and PV both strongly hint at is borderline incest.  Seriously, why are there so many anime with this as the foundation for a relationship?  I mean, if the anime didn’t have it, this would be ranked much higher and I’d probably consider watching the entire season.  But with a little sister in passionate love with her onii-chan, I don’t think I’ll last through the first episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Mekaku City Actors

Opinion: I can’t say that the synopsis is too promising, a story about a NEET who locked himself in his room for two years and only adventures out after a cyber girl forces him, but there are enough merits elsewhere to convince me to give this anime a chance.  The character designs are all striking and distinctive, which, along with being a Shaft anime, bodes well for an admirable art style, animation and aesthetics.  The cast looks fun too, though I have no idea what their roles will be in the story.  And although I am disappointed with the scenario of the anime, it does seem opportune for character growth, self-discovery and exploration, so it might turn out to be worthwhile if it goes in that direction.  We’ll see what it’s like after one episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Ping Pong the Animation

Opinion: Obviously, Ping Pong will be an anime with some remarkable animation and a unique, rebellious art style.  Visually speaking, this will be one of the most interesting anime to watch based on these two factors alone.  However, I do wonder how much animation the anime will offer since PVs are slated to feature some of the better, more exciting work to sell the product.  I’m hoping that the frequency of good animation is on par with this PV but I’m willing to bet that it will be lower.  Still, one can hope.  I’m not really interested in the characters or the story or the setting or anything else besides the art style at this point.  If those turn out to be good, then great, the anime will be fun to watch.  If not, I might still keep this anime if it’s eye-candy like this PV for every episode.  And if that’s not the case, then maybe the characters or the story can carry this anime.  We’ll find out after the first episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizokin

Opinion: It might be decent… but it doesn’t look very good right now.  There are some positives to glean from the synopsis and PV, but it looks very ordinary for an anime which isn’t the greatest of news.  The anime will be successful if its primarily female lead, Ruugajou Nanana, is able to carry the show in terms of its story and comedy… and from the looks of it, she just might be able to.  I’m not sure anyone else is capable of doing that, at least given the starting scenario, but there might be charming or amusing characters elsewhere, like the blonde detective.  All that remains are, the art, the animation and the music are all standard to above-average, so at least the production values are respectable.  Still, the anime will depend heavily on how the story and characters develop, so it’s hard to say at this point whether this will be good or just mediocre.  I just hope the characters and story are as good as the budget behind this anime.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

Sadou Desu

Opinion: Sadon Desu is a 4-koma comedy manga about a girl joining a club to eat snacks and have fun.  I don’t see much of a story out of an anime like this, but it might prove to have some decent comedy painted over a slice-of-life backdrop.  Still, I can’t help but wonder if this anime will grow boring after an episode or two, so it’s slated for one to start before reevaluating it.  Also, this might be a short anime that’s only 3- to 5-minutes long, which would certainly help this anime since it would benefit from that time structure than 24-minutes of mild humor.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

 

With those sections complete, all that remains 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 that way for me.  I doubt I’ll watch any more than the PV linked in their sections, but there’s always a chance for me to pick one or two up every season, so not all hope is lost for these shows.  However, for most of them, there’s already zero chance I’ll even think about them after writing my opinions for each.

 

Baby Steps

Opinion: I’m going to wait to see what others think of this anime before trying it out.  At this point, it doesn’t interest me in the slightest but it has some potential to be good.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Blade and Soul

Opinion: Yeah, no, doesn’t look good.  Don’t know anything about the game it’s based on either, so no real interest either way.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Futsuu no Joshikousei ga [Locodol] Yatte Mita.

Opinion: Yeah, another idol show.  Yeah, another show I’m not going to watch.  Also, the manga design for these character is way cuter than the anime design, so another minus for this anime.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara

Opinion: It’s gonna be a bad and dumb harem anime.  Pass.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Kenzen Robo Daimidaler

Opinion: Did this PV just make a giant robot battle boring?  How to you make a giant robot battle boring?  How??

Plans for this show: No dice

 

La Corda D’Oro Blue Sky

Opinion: I typically stay away from reverse harems and this looks to be a super reverse harem.  I wonder if that means I’ll super stay away from this anime.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Seikoku no Dragonar

Opinion: It might be okay but the characters look boring and the fantasy setting sides on generic rather than unique.  That and the frequent fanservice (including awkward and ecchi tentacle scene) is more than enough to say no.  Dragons are cool, though.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Selector infected WIXOSS

Opinion: It’s based on a card game, which is the reason I’m not watching it, but it doesn’t look like it’s based off a card game.  In fact, the PV makes it look pretty interesting with a rather dark and haunting theme overlaying some action.  The PV accomplishes its job in catching my attention but I still don’t think I’ll watch a card game anime.  Still, I’ll keep my eye out for this one in the first couple weeks.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

Sidonia no Kishi

Opinion: I don’t really care for the full 3D art style, so I’ll pass on this.

Plans for this show: No dice

 

And that concludes my preview for the Spring 2014 anime season.  Once the season begins and all the anime begin airing, I’ll document my thoughts, opinions and evaluations for each show in my First Impressions posts.  But until these anime are released, everything between now and then is just anticipation, speculation and calculated guesswork when figuring out where all these anime will fit into our viewing schedules.  I hope everyone has as much fun as much as I did when creating their previews and enjoy the Spring 2014 anime season as much as I do!