{"id":6144,"date":"2010-09-21T21:00:17","date_gmt":"2010-09-22T02:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/?p=6144"},"modified":"2010-09-23T03:31:53","modified_gmt":"2010-09-23T08:31:53","slug":"project-haruhis-fall-anime-preview-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/?p=6144","title":{"rendered":"Project Haruhi’s Fall Anime Preview, Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile.<\/p><\/div>\n

We are Project Haruhi. We are not one, but many.<\/p>\n

That’s right! Contrary to popular belief, this website actually has several different authors writing for us. And we’re not just a bunch of emotionless clones, either… we each have unique opinions and\u00a0aesthetic\u00a0preferences. Despite what some of our readers believe, we’re not all grumpy moe-hating oldfags or fanservice-bashing puritans. Our tastes are as diverse as the colors of the rainbow.<\/p>\n

To help emphasize that fact, I’ve asked each of our authors to write up their own short fall anime preview, detailing which shows they’re interested in and why. The first four of these previews are in this post; the rest will come tomorrow. Hopefully, this should give you a good idea of what to expect in our upcoming episode reviews and podcasts. Maybe our opinions will help you decide which shows you want to watch as well. So read on below the break, and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.<\/p>\n

Note: Before reading this, it might be a good idea to check out Random Curiosity’s preview<\/a>. It has descriptions and trailers for each of the shows we’ll be talking about, and is generally an excellent resource for keeping track of the new fall season anime.<\/p>\n

[OP image by bbmbbf<\/a>]<\/p>\n

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Dustin<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I\u2019ve mentioned many times before, I love American comics, so I\u2019m very excited about\u00a0Iron Man<\/em>. Not only does it have Madhouse\u2019s talent behind it, but Tony Stark\u2019s penchant for constantly upgrading his suit makes it a perfect fit for a Japanese audience weaned on shounen and mecha series that love introducing new models, weapons and fighting techniques. That said, I question Madhouse\u2019s decision to use CG for the armored suits. I don\u2019t think it will look nearly as good as pure animation could.<\/p>\n

On the more traditional mecha front, I have\u00a0Super Robot Wars OG<\/em> and\u00a0Star Driver<\/em> to look forward to. Of the two, I\u2019m more eager to see what\u00a0Star Driver<\/em> has in store, since its art style seems to be taking a page from\u00a0Gurren Lagann<\/em> and transplanting it in a school setting.\u00a0Super Robot Wars<\/em>, however, did nothing in its promo to make me think it\u2019ll be anything other than generic. I\u2019ll certainly give it a chance\u2014since I\u2019m starved for mecha at the moment\u2014but I won\u2019t get my hopes up.<\/p>\n

And then there are the shows I\u2019m not sure what to make of, such as\u00a0Panty & Stocking<\/em>. It seems to be Gainax\u2019s homage to American cartoons, which\u2014if true\u2014should be really cool. I think it\u2019s great that Japanese companies are starting to blend different cultural influences into their entertainment products.\u00a0Bakuman<\/em> wasn\u2019t initially on my radar, but the more I read about it the more I want to check it out. Plus, I\u2019m a writer, so a show about the difficult road to becoming a mangaka might \u201cspeak to me.\u201d Or something.<\/p>\n

Finally, there are a few shows I\u2019m planning on taste-testing. The promo for\u00a0Psychic Detective Yakumo<\/em>, for instance, did not hook me at all; but we hardly get any horror series in anime, so I\u2019ll give it a couple episodes and hope BEE TRAIN just makes really dull promos.\u00a0The World Only God Knows<\/em> has an interesting premise, but I fear the execution will either be bland or terrible. Given the track record modern anime has for showing believable and healthy romantic relationships, I think my fear is well-founded. I feel similarly about\u00a0My Little Sister Can\u2019t Be This Cute!. <\/em>Could it actually be a good comedy? Yes. Could the hype surrounding it be justified? Sure. Am I skeptical about it? Considering how disappointed I was with\u00a0Lucky Star<\/em>, absolutely.<\/p>\n

So, that\u2019s my list. I have quite a few more things to try than I did last season, which is a good sign. Maybe not so good for my free time, though.<\/p>\n

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Jon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surprisingly, I\u2019m not all that excited about Iron Man<\/em>. Maybe it\u2019s the lackluster trailers, or the middling review<\/a> of the first episode on ANN, but I can\u2019t shake the feeling that this series is going to be a disappointment.\u00a0 As I\u2019ve already stated, I think the must-watch anime of this season is going to be Gainax\u2019s next blockbuster, Panty & Stocking<\/em>. This utterly absurd tribute to the great American cartoons of the nineties looks like the twisted love child of Genndy Tartakovsky and Jhonen Vasquez. This show will be a welcome relief from the endless stream of slice-of-life and romantic comedy crap that\u2019s been sucking all the life out of anime as of late.<\/p>\n

Speaking of romantic comedy, I am planning to watch My Little Sister Can\u2019t Be This Cute!<\/em>, or OreImo<\/em> as the fans call it. And you know what? I am going to be absolutely merciless in my criticism of this show. Based on the trailers, it looks like an utterly abominable blend of every tired clich\u00e9 imaginable\u2026 exactly the kind of show I love to hate. I\u2019ll keep an open mind, but OreImo<\/em> is going to have to work hard to impress me.<\/p>\n

Naturally, I\u2019ll be watching Star Driver<\/em> because of its unique take on mecha designs. However, based on the trailers, it looks a little too much like Gurren Lagann<\/em> for my liking. I will NOT be watching Index<\/em> as I had originally planned, since I haven\u2019t found time to finish the first season. Finally, we come to Hyakka Ryoran Samurai Girls<\/em>, the fanservice show of this season.\u00a0I had previously dismissed this show as having no redeeming value, much like Queen’s Blade<\/em> or\u00a0Strike Witches<\/em>, but the trailers have changed my opinion completely. The mise-en-sc\u00e9ne of this show is absolutely stunning; even if the story turns out to be total crap, I\u2019ll probably keep watching for the art alone.<\/p>\n

And there you have it. This season has a lot more promise than the last one, and I\u2019m hoping these shows can follow through.<\/p>\n

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Glen<\/strong><\/p>\n

I’ll admit that a show will attract my attention simply because it seems completely different from what I’m used to seeing. Sometimes I find gems, and sometimes I’m reminded that things are often a lot more interesting in my mind than they actually turn out to be. After meandering through a handful of previews which seemed interesting and a few that didn’t, I’ve managed to pick out five potentially unusual series which I’ll initially be following.<\/p>\n

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge<\/em> easily had the best trailer out of everything I watched, and the unusual setting combined with Shinbou as the director and production by SHAFT makes this a shoo-in for me. Apparently it’s a sequel, though, so I’m hoping I can blast through the first series before this one premieres. Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru<\/em> has a similar appeal in that it’s also a Shinbou\/SHAFT production, but I’m admittedly a little less enthusiastic about this one as the setting is a bit more typical. Still, it’s been a while since I watched a gag-centric slice-of-life series, so I think it\u2019s worth a shot.<\/p>\n

Otome Youkai Zakuro<\/em> has an interesting premise, but the trailer broke a bit of my confidence with its generic presentation. Still, the last time I saw an anime with the Imperial Japanese Army as protagonists was in old war-era propaganda shorts, so I’ll at least give this a chance. Yosuga no Sora<\/em> is an eroge adaptation which, judging from the trailer, may end up actually being erotic. I’m hoping this will be one of the extremely rare anime which portray sexual relationships in a tasteful yet unashamed manner. However, with the trailer showing the main character about to French kiss his sister with her tongue hanging out in typical hentai fashion, I’m braced for disappointment. Finally,\u00a0Kuragehime<\/em> basically gender-swaps the old otaku group dynamic and drops a cross-dresser who is running away from his father into the middle. I look for unusual things and this show seems to have it in spades.<\/p>\n

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Jeagle<\/strong><\/p>\n

Out of all the shows I’ve seen for the coming season, Iron Man<\/em> appears as though it will be the most watched–despite how good or bad it may be. Personally, I’m not a very big mecha fan, but for the sake of keeping up with what people enjoy, I’ll certainly check it out to see what all the hubbub is about.<\/p>\n

Of course, there’s no way I could pass the chance to see Panty and Stocking<\/em>. It’s hard to tell how this show will turn out, with its very distinctive and crazy style. I’m hoping it winds up as a very entertaining anime, since I was forced to sit through so much crap last season. I’m also going to at least give Bakuman<\/em> a chance, due to all that I’ve heard about it. I really need something to help wash down this moe crap.\u00a0I am also going to give Psychic Detective Yakumo<\/em> a try, since I haven’t seen a good thriller anime since Paranoia Agent.<\/em> Plus, I’ve always seemed to enjoy watching detective shows, and this one seems like it could actually be scary.<\/p>\n

But of course, I’m still a slice-of-life nutcase. The World Only God Knows<\/em> has definitely caught my interest because of all the hype, despite my uncertainty on whether I’ll enjoy it or not. I feel the same way about My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute!<\/em>.\u00a0It may end up as a great comedy or a huge dud. Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru<\/em> has also just barely pulled in my interest, simply due to the fact that it’s slice-of-life. Plus, it looks as thought it’s a bit more unique compared to most shows I’ve seen recently. And–just for the heck of it–MM!<\/em>, just because it looks somewhat interesting. No, it has nothing to do with the masochism. I swear.<\/p>\n

So far, that’s all I’m planning on watching. I’ll probably add or drop shows from this list based on what others say, though.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are Project Haruhi. We are not one, but many. That’s right! Contrary to popular belief, this website actually has several different authors writing for us. And we’re not just a bunch of emotionless clones, either… we each have unique … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1479,31,3],"tags":[642,2201,48,1861,1485,1851,1506,1854,1855,1850,1287,2247,1518,1256,2251,1623,39,1853,1627,1491,115,2277,1621,1864,2204,116,1865,1490,2223,1858,1838,1859,1862,1849,1526,1498,337,656,1483,1852,544,97,360,1166,1848,1482,1480,1860,1856,1857,1863],"class_list":["post-6144","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2010-fall-season","category-anime","category-reviews","tag-642","tag-anime","tag-ann","tag-arakawa-under-the-bridge-x-bridge","tag-bakuman","tag-bbmbbf","tag-bee-train","tag-cg","tag-cgi","tag-deviantart","tag-dustin","tag-evangelion","tag-fall","tag-fanservice","tag-gainax","tag-glen","tag-gurren-lagann","tag-hate","tag-hater","tag-hyakka-ryoran-samurai-girls","tag-iron-man","tag-jeagle","tag-jon","tag-kuragehime","tag-lucky-star","tag-madhouse","tag-masochism","tag-mm","tag-moe","tag-my-little-sister-cant-be-this-cute","tag-oldfag","tag-oreimo","tag-otome-youkai-zakuro","tag-palcomix","tag-panty-stocking-with-garterbelt","tag-panty-and-stocking","tag-parody","tag-preview","tag-psychic-detective-yakumo","tag-puritan","tag-queens-blade","tag-random-curiosity","tag-rei","tag-season","tag-shinji","tag-soredemo-machi-wa-mawatteiru","tag-star-driver","tag-strike-witches","tag-super-robot-wars-og","tag-the-world-only-god-knows","tag-yosuka-no-sora"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6144"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6144\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6144"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6144"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.projectharuhi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}