12 Days of Anime (2015) – Day 2 – Speaking with Hiromi Katou, Character Design for Needless, at Sakuracon

Hiromi Katou is a gifted and experienced talent, having a successful career in the anime industry through a variety of roles. Among his notable accomplishments, he was the character designs for Guilty Crown, Kobato., and Hakkenden, the animation directors for Beck, Gunslinger Stratos, and Fantasia Doll, and a key animator for Death Note, Azumanga Daioh, Shingeki no Kyojin, and many more. However, his most distinguished achievement, to me at least, is that he was the character design for Needless, which you might guess from previous posts is my favorite anime. I was extremely fortunate that Hiromi Katou was invited as a guest for Sakuracon this year and made sure to visit his Q&A panel, so that I could ask him some questions regarding Needless. So, for Day 2 of my 12 Days of Anime, I’ll recall my time with Hiromi Katou and the answers he provided about his experience with Needless.

Summer 2013 – Season Preview

The calendar has turned and July is upon us, marking the conclusions of a number of beloved anime last week and signaling the advent of dozens of new shows for the next three months.  As with every other season preview here, this one will take a complete and comprehensive look at all the shows airing this Summer with a special focus on all the new franchises and series premiering for the first time.  Also included in a quick note about my plans for this season which will include a hiatus to some extent which will likely changed how I write about anime this season.  So with that, onto the anime for Summer 2013!