Blog Talkback: Spring 2010 Anime Preview

[Harley]

In a just a matter of days, a new slate of animated programming will begin in Japan. As the fandom fires up its anticipation for what could be a fruitful spring for Japanese animation, here at the Toonzone blog we're going to try focusing in on what we think some of the highlights of the season might be. For the blog's first attempt at such a project we have not listed every single new show simply for the sake of doing so, though we have instead included a handful of recent OVA's or upcoming movies that merit singling out.Our hope is that most of what we list here will ultimately be licensed as it deserves, and with any luck several will also given online streaming outside of Japan through one legal service or another for the fans. Before we begin, I'd like to thank Lelouch in advance for the commentary that he supplemented this preview with.

Let's begin! (http://www.toonzone.net/blog/blogs/193/spring-2010-anime-preview/)

[garfield15]

What's this? You think you can just replace Random Curiosity for me!!?? Well you can't you imposters! No one can! (sobs in corner)

:p

Anyway, watching that Arakawa trailer, another year, another SHAFT anime with Zetsubou-sensei voicing the male lead.

You guys put out some good comments.

[soundmonkey44]

Can't wait for the Trigun Move...also, does anyone know when Black rock Shooter is supposed to premire??? (& when/if it will have a legal stream up?)

[Anyone00]

...also, does anyone know when Black rock Shooter is supposed to premire??? (& when/if it will have a legal stream up?)

It will most likely stream on Nico Nico Douga (don't know about other sites or outside of Japan) from June 25 to August 31:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-03-24/black-rock-shooter-anime-to-be-streamed-for-free

[GWOtaku]

Can't wait for the Trigun Move...also, does anyone know when Black rock Shooter is supposed to premire??? (& when/if it will have a legal stream up?)

As Anyone00 said, they'll be distributing it for free during the summer with the intent of hyping sales. It's a one-shot, 50 minute OVA. Crunchyroll's ended up with a few shorter things like this before, so it's at least not impossible that it could find its way onto there.

A random thought for the day: I know the OVA is supposed to be dead compared to the past and the 90s, but there's some pretty decent stuff that's come to video in spite of the industry's issues. I look at Katanagatari and how Gundam Unicorn is out there, I see an actual movie series for Break Blade instead of a TV series, I see the seven films of Kara no Kyoukai in recent years, and then there's the Tales of Symphonia OVA and the fact that the shonen action OVA Saint Seiya: The Lost Canvas has done well enough to get a second batch of 13 episodes approved. Beyond that we have a show like Gotchicmade (http://www.toonzone.net/forums/showthread.php?t=263674) coming along after years of waiting, and for this season we have no fewer than three shows aiming for an older audience with Rainbow, House of Five Leaves, and Yojo-Han Shinwa Taieki. I tend to think that things could be much worse if this stuff can manage to get made at a time when things are tough for the industry compared to the recent past.

Of course, the trick is how much of this stuff actually gets to us in the end as opposed to really otaku-centric shows and obvious smart picks. But there's stuff out there for the getting that could do well, that much is sure.

My top two hopes for TV series are probably Senko no Night Raid and Heroman. If those live up to the promise that I think they have, that's at least 4 to 5 series of serious quality from this season already.

[garfield15]

A random thought for the day: I know the OVA is supposed to be dead compared to the past and the 90s,
Who says that? I've never even heard that around the fandom before.

[GWOtaku]

A few fans in the know do. I know it's been talked about on ANNCast (maybe Anime World Order too) and it's come up here and there from time to time. At issue is the idea that the OVA used to be far more prolific and common a good ways ago compared to now, where there isn't as much money to throw around at such things. It's an extreme example because it's so long, but the point at work is that Legend of the Galactic Heroes would simply not be made today. Some might say the same about a Giant Robo-esque production, though I don't know if I fully buy into that.