Winter 2012 Anime Preview

The next new season of Anime is starting up this week, this will be the second edition of what Anime I'm looking forward to this season!

I will probably end up only watching a few of these, but all Anime in this list will receive the standard 2 episode grace period before final judgement. For example, last season I ended up watching Hunter x Hunter, Chihayafuru, Ben-To, Mirai Nikki, Guilty Crown, Fate/Zero, Last Exile, and Shana. That is quite a few more than usual as last season was pretty amazing! This season has quite a few less entries, but there is no shortage of things I want to watch!

I'll go into a little more detail this time about how this works: Every few months, a bunch of new Anime airs and I decide which ones I'm going to try watching. I place those shows into four categories: Ugly, Bad, Good, and Great. The Ugly are shows that, by all my seasoned instincts I feel will be really bad but have faint little shimmer in the mud that could be gold or glass. The Bad are the next step up, these Anime are probably not so good, but have a number of potentially redeeming qualities. The Good have decent stories or a talented studio behind them but come up just shy of perfect for a handful of reasons. The Great have everything I look for in an Anime or are sequels to something that was at least good.

Alright, here we go!

The Ugly:

		Kill Me Baby! Producers: J.C. Staff This Anime looked pretty good until I watched the trailer. I honestly didn't find the trailer funny at all, but I'll still give it one episode at least...
		Recorder to Randoseru Producers: Seven Appearances are not what they seem in this Anime, that girl is actually 17 years old. Not surprised yet? Neither was I, that's pretty normal in the Anime universe. The catch here is that guy is actually 11, and acts his age. This Anime is about how the elder sister takes care of her 'little' brother. Could be fun, as long as there isn't too much fan service.
		Rinne no Lagrange Producers: Production I.G, Xebec Some girls. Some mecha. Eh, Okay. I guess it's been done right before... On a side note, Nissan will be designing the mechs, that much could be cool.

The Bad:

		The Daily Lives of High School Boys Producers: Sunrise Kimi to Boku was a disappointment, but this Anime is marketed as being 'realistic' so it should be less 'cute guys doing cute things' and more 'boys will be boys.' It should be funny, but I won't get my hopes up.
		Inu X Boku Secret Service Producers: Aniplex, David Production, Sentai Filmworks Some spoiled brat who doesn't want to be spoiled anymore and her harem of Secret Service fox spirit man slaves... Right.

The Good:

		Aquarion Evol Producers: Satelight, Media Factory, 8bit Okay, with the sole exception of the scene where the main character ate a rat or something (it's been like 5 years okay, I don't remember!) the original was pretty bad. I never finished watching it. Now, travel 12,000 years into the future where the original is all but forgotten, throw in the Director from Macross Frontier with music from Yoko Kanno and you have got yourself an Anime! The only thing keeping this out of Great is the lingering memories of the original.
		Black★Rock Shooter Producers: Aniplex, Ordet, SANZIGEN, Ultra Super Pictures Based on an alternate version of Hatsune Miku created by fans for a popular song by the same title. I was one of few people who though the movie was decent, but it was bad enough that there is no way I will put this under Great. I still have high hopes for this though.
		Senki Zesshou Symphogear Producers: Satelight, Encourage Films Girls fight aliens with music? Looks like Aquarion isn't the only Anime hailing Macross this season. The trailer made it look a lot more like they are killing the aliens in epic close quarters combat instead of music though. I was tempted to put this under Bad, but I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. I've also never heard of Encourage Films, they seem to only have had one other project.

The Great:

		Amagami SS+ Producers: AIC I really liked the parallel dimensions presentation of the first season, but I felt like I got the complete package. I don't know how many more awkward places to kiss someone this sequel can offer, but if it is anywhere near as good as the first season, I won't complain.
		Ano Natsu de Matteru Producers: J.C. Staff, Sentai Filmworks The two girls and a guy story of the season, NOW WITH 100% MOAR Tatsuyuki Nagai! I am definitely in the mood for another great Anime along the lines of Ano Hana, Chobits, or Toradora.
		Another Producers: P.A. Works Middle school transfer student Kouchi is seeing a mysterious girl with an eye patch who is always alone drawing pictures who could be the ghost of a girl who died 26 years in the past. P.A. Works always does well, why should this one be any different?
		Mini Skirt Space Pirates Producers: Satelight, Starchild Records, Sentai Filmworks SPACE PIRATES! Nuff said. I have been looking forward to this for a while, the trailer is great, all from a staff that brought other great sleeper hits like Basquash! What's not to want?
		Nisemonogatari Producers: Shaft Bakemonogatari was a masterpiece. This sequel will not disappoint! At least until the final episode is delayed for like 100 years... This time Araragi's sisters get some more screen time in a new plot that focuses on the curse from the Nadeko arc. More of that good old Shaft-style awesome.
		Zero no Tsukaima: Kessakusen (Final) Producers: J.C. Staff Noboru Yamaguchi is back from his epic battle with cancer and ready to finish what he's started! Since Shana has decided to keep airing into this season, there will be more than enough Rie for everyone!