Autumn 2016 – Season Preview | Avvesione's Anime Blog

Autumn 2016 – Season Preview

Every season has its defining features. Autumn, for example, is known for its bountiful harvests and leaves falling to the ground. Likewise, every anime season has its distinguishing characteristics thanks to the anime that air within its interval. Sometimes, anime seasons are bountiful, like an autumn harvest, and others are barren, like the trees after shedding their leaves. What type of season will Autumn 2016 bring us? Let’s take a peak and see what we have in store for the final season of 2016.

Easily my greatest regret of this year has been the inability to voice my thoughts and feelings with the anime I am watching, especially with the last two seasons. There have been plenty of wonderful, delightful anime that I’ve watched and loved, yet I haven’t had the time to sit down and pen my thoughts into posts. It’s a disappointment, for sure, and something I hope to address with a new season of anime around the corner. Whether this becomes a reality has yet to be determined, but I’d love nothing more than to begin writing again. Here’s hoping that Autumn 2016 will allow me just that.

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… and really, that’s the most important date to know.

Autumn and Spring seasons are known for their bounty in terms of the volume of anime that air. These seasons often broadcast more anime than their Winter and Summer season counterparts, so it shouldn’t be surprising to see a large number of anime return next month. For Autumn 2016, we’ll see the return of 22 anime franchises in the forms of sequels and spinoffs, and of those, 4 are true TV-length series that I am planning on continuing.

Autumn 2016 will broadcast: 12-sai. ~Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki~ Second Season, Ajin Second Season, Ame-iro Cocoa 3, Anitore! XX, Bishoujo Yuugi Unit Crane Game Girls Second Season, Brave Witches, Bubuki Buranki: Hoshi no Kyojin, Bungou Stray Dogs Second Season, Chi’s Sweet Home 3, Digimon Universe: Appli Monsters, Haikyuu!!: Karasuno Koukou VS Shiratorizawa Gakuen Koukou, Hibike! Euphonium 2, Kaitou Joker Fourth Season, Lostorange Incited WIXOSS, Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara. 2nd Season, Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans 2nd Season, Natsume Yuujinchou Go, Okusama ga Seitokaichou! +1, Show By Rock!! #, Teekyuu 8, Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love Legend Star, and WWW.Working!!. Below are my thoughts and opinions on the franchises that I have experience with and am anticipating continuing. As for all the others, the source material and previous anime are probably your best bet for what to expect with those anime.

Hibike! Euphonium 2

Opinion: Hibike! Euphonium ended up as my sixth favorite anime of 2015, primarily thanks to its ingenious narrative, radiant visuals, and phenomenal passion. The original was an exceptional, satisfying anime that precisely sculpted its characters from troubled teenagers to peerless performances who strove for distinction. And what made the original so spectacular, so unparalleled, so high-quality is that it made me care. And that’s why I am so enthused about a continuation of Hibike! Euphonium is that I am confident that this anime will continue to build upon its achievements and reach for glory. And I’ll be here to enjoy it as the Kitauji High School Music Club embarks on yet another amazing chapter.

Plans for this show: Will watch

Brave Witches

Opinion: Brave Witches is a spinoff of the Strike Witches franchise, but instead of focusing on the 501st Joint Fighter Wing in the British Isles, this anime follows the 502nd Joint Fighter Wing fighting for freedom above the Russian tundra and Baltic Sea. As you might assume, I enjoyed the original Strike Witch anime, taking particular interest to more of the slife, humor, and entertainment aspects than the fighting, military, and whatnot. Brave Witches seems to have a healthy balance of both, so it seems on par with the previous two seasons. One positive heading into this is that I am eager to meet the 502nd cast, given that there seems to be a bunch of vibrant personalities. The PV above seems to suggest that this will be less ecchi than the original, but that’s not saying much since the anime’s trademark is kemonomimi girls flying around in their panties fighting aliens. And while there might be fewer panties than the original Strike Witches, you could probably say that for 99% of anime. Still, it looks to be one of the more entertaining and enjoyable anime this season.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

WWW.Working!!

Opinion: This is the right step and also the wrong step in the beloved Working!! franchise. To me, it is a step in the right direction since it doesn’t try to undo any of the advancements, reset the progress, or prolong the story that wrapped up with its finale OVA in March 2016. But at the same time, it’s also a step in the wrong direction given that… well, it’s essentially an entirely new anime. It will be challenging to reinvest in a new set of characters with this style of comedy and this unique setting. Nonetheless, this is its own standing manga that is separate from the anime story, so maybe there is some novelties here that were not feasible in the other storyline. Still, given the success of this franchise, I’m willing to give this spinoff a proper chance.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans 2nd Season

Opinion: The first season of Gundam IBO started out exceptionally well. The episodes on Mars were strong and focused, and the series felt advanced in such a renowned franchise. Then they went to space. And it was filler up until their arrival on Earth. You can’t blame me for losing attention and appreciation for a series when there’s no progress or emotion for almost 20 episodes. And that’s what I worry with this second season. That, and I really don’t have a strong connection with the cast or any investment in the story. I certainly hope this second season proves me wrong, but it will require significant work in order to win me over again.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Shorts to watch: Anitore! XX, Mahou Shoujo Nante Mou Ii Desu Kara. 2nd Season, and Teekyuu 8.

The following two sections of the preview contains a list of all the new, original anime that will debut during the Autumn 2016 anime season, with the first section on the anime I am planning on screening and the latter section the anime I have already rejected.

Based on prior experiences – and the fact that I’m wrong every season – I now feel that it’s best to greet each season with as little hype as possible. Rather than create a false image based on a minute or two of promotional videos and a few lines of a synopsis, I feel that it’s only fair to go into a season with an open-mind. Still, despite this new approach, there are still some anime I am looking forward to more than others, including some that I’ve already seen too much of. So with that, below is a list of the anime that made the first set of cuts for Autumn 2016:

Sangatsu no Lion (March Comes Like a Lion)

Opinion: Sangatsu no Lion (3–gatsu no Lion) has all the right ingredients, but does it have the right recipe? Individually, all the elements seem like positives, given its characters, style, themes, and environment. The question is, how well do all these elements come together in a story? Or rather, will it create genuine drama or melodrama? Will the pacing be sluggish or dynamic? Will it be emotional or emotionless? It’s hard to say, but I have a hidden feeling that, despite it looking like the best new anime of the season, that it’ll have some issues that keep it from being my favorite. But, based on the PV, the presentation, the synopsis, and the generally positive recommendations, I’m heading into this season with this as the frontrunner.

Plans for this show: Likely watch

Flip Flappers

Opinion: If animation were everything, then Flip Flappers would be a star. But fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it), there are affectionate characters, vibrant settings, and marvelous stories. Flip Flappers certainly sells me on its phenomenal art and animation, but not much of anything else. Every other aspect of this anime is a great unknown, and, quite frankly, seem like honest weaknesses to me. An anime needs to have substantive content in order for it to be fulfilling… but all I see with Flip Flappers is a pretty generic comedy anime dressed up as one of the most beautiful anime of the year. I’ll be interested in this anime for its animation, no doubt, but will that be enough for me to watch it this season? Guess we’ll find out.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Nobunaga no Shinobi

Opinion: I love cute chibi anime. I don’t think I could handle 24 minutes of this at a time, so thankfully this is a short and probably will just be cute and funny the whole time. Count me in for 5 or so relaxing minutes each week.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Shuumatsu no Izetta (Izetta, The Last Witch)

Opinion: Shuumatsu no Izetta claims to be an original anime, but I’ve played Valkyria Chronicles.

Anyway, Shuumatsu no Izetta catches my attention with its setting, scenery, and semi-accurate military history. Izetta certainly has a solid foundation, containing all the right elements to build up a solid anime, but I am weary of where the story will go and what it will focus on given that it seems to be about a princess and a witch. I’d be more interested in this anime if the scope was focused on the entire cast and how the war was affecting them, but it seems to be more on the interpersonal relationship between Izetta, the witch, and Fine, the princess. Still, it’s hard to pass up an anime with an environment and setting like this, so I’ll be more invested in this than most other anime this season.

Plans for this show: Maybe watch

Drifters

Opinion: Drifters is another anime with a strong style and presentation, but with a story and setting that seems rather empty. Or to clarify, I’m excited to hear that this anime will be about a bunch of famous samurai and warriors fighting each other in another dimension, but I’m left asking “but why?”. I’m anticipating that there’ll be some catch where the winner will be revived or something, but it still feels rather empty without an actual story to support it. Nonetheless, Drifters certainly catches my eye and is worth an episode or two to see if it’s worth keeping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Keijo!!!!!!!! (Hip Whip Girl)

Opinion: Keijo!!!!!!!! has 8 exclamation points in its title. One more or one less and I will have no clue what you’re talking about. And yes, you have to count all 8 exclamation points each time, otherwise you don’t know if you’re talking about the prequel or its sequel. I wonder if they’ll name the spinoff Keijo????????

Anyway, Keijo!!!!!!!! seems like an interesting ecchi comedy anime given that it doesn’t try to hide its fanservice and puts it front and center as its main selling-point. I can’t blame it for that, knowing what it wants to be and succeeding at being a trashy fanservice anime. I tend to like ecchi anime if they have an all-female cast, so I am inclined to give this an episode or two and see if it’s my style. Please don’t judge me if I end up liking this.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Long Riders!

Opinion: Long Riders has only 1 exclamation point. Can you really trust an anime with only 1 exclamation point in its title?

So, Long Riders! is an anime about 5 girls who cycle together. Long Riders! shares a number of similar elements to the typical ‘school club’ genre that is hit-or-miss, so it doesn’t stand out very much. Additionally, the animation and aesthetics in the PV lead me to believe it’s somewhat lower budget than the other anime surrounding it. Still, I can’t find much wrong with the anime at this point and feel that an episode or two might prove fruitful. It really depends on the comedy, the slice-of-life, and how much it focuses on cycling. If it has a health balance of each, then I’ll be taking this along for the ride this season.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Luger Code 1951

Opinion: Luger Code 1951 is an anime about people trying to decipher encrypted werewolf radio transmissions by capturing a cute werewolf girl. It, uh… it doesn’t have the same type of impact or impression that the other anime on this list have, but I’m not able to find much in the way of concrete information about this anime that would support my decision one way or the other at this point. It has my attention given that one of the main characters is a werewolf girl, so I’ll give it an episode or two to see if it’s worth keeping.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku (Magical Girl Raising Project)

Opinion: The synopsis for Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku is certainly interesting, hinting that this anime will be about a survival game between 16 magical girls. But, after watching the PV, it seems to be pretty cute with chibi girls cosplaying as ninjas, knights, witches, and whatnot. Will it be a cute survival game with comedic fighting or will it be unadulterated and dramatic, with thrilling action and emotional death scenes? I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious and will be interested to see which path this anime takes.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Occultic;Nine

Opinion: Like many of the other anime in this tier, Occultic;Nine doesn’t have a lot of material or information out, but of the material and information out, it seems like it has a decent chance of being a good anime. At this point, the strengths in Occultic;Nine are its diverse cast of characters and its somewhat serious and somber tone. The designs are certainly noticeable, which is always a positive to me, and the atmosphere seems to be eerie or haunting, so something that could work given its scenario. However, it’s hard to read much more into that given that these are about all the facts I have on this anime, so it will be best to have an open-mind when heading into the first episode.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Shakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume (Ping Pong Girl)

Opinion: Sakunetsu no Takkyuu Musume looks like a cheap and generic ‘school club’ anime… but really what determines whether or not it will be good or not is up to its characters and comedy. Now, it’s certainly harder to get excited when all I see about this anime is another school club setting and substandard visuals, but the heart of this anime will be how its characters grow and the humor it is able to produce. I can’t say that I have high hopes for this anime, but it’s worth an episode at this point.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari (Poco’s Udon World)

Opinion: There’s a huge disconnect between what I like and what I don’t like about this anime already. On one hand, the visuals and setting are some of the best this season. There is no doubt that these elements are strong enough to keep me interested and invest in an anime like this all season. The real questions is, whether this will be a story about the dude taking care of this fox kid or if it will follow the fox kid on his wild youkai adventures with a human caretaker. Either way, I’m not really all that interested in the story or the characters. It’s just not my style to see something like this, and I’m really wondering whether I want to watch this or not. I’ll give it an episode since it has a number of strong positives, but that might be it depending on how the characters and story unfold.

Plans for this show: Doubtful but it gets a shot

Yuri!!! on Ice

Opinion: Only 3 exclamation points? Are you even trying Yuri!!! on Ice?

Sports anime are among my least favorite genre of anime and there’s little to excite me about Yuri!!! on Ice. Yes, the animation is gorgeous and stunning, and yes, male ice skating is certainly distinctive as a theme, but what else is there to Yuri!!! on Ice? Hard to say at this point. There certainly are plenty of positive indicators for this anime, but the real question isn’t about its quality, it’s about whether it’s something that I can enjoy or not. At this point, I’m willing to give this an episode to see whether it defies or confirms my expectations.

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.

All Out!!