Spring 2012 is Nearly Upon Us!

Honestly, it’s still two months away, but who cares about that? There’s new anime to talk about! Hurray!

With the spring season (anime or otherwise) looming on the horizon, I thought that I would share my thoughts on the new line-up. This will be a few of my personal favourites going into the new season, and the ones I am most looking forward to. Let’s get started then, shall we? In no particular order:

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? Jigoku Hen

The second season of one of my favourites from last year. Ayumu Aikawa was a perfectly normal high school boy, until he was murdered by a serial killer, and resurrected as a zombie by Eucliwood Hellscythe, a necromancer from Hell. This allows him to start the search for his killer, but it will not be so simple.

Despite the rather grim description, this series is hilarious. It never stops coming up with new material, bringing not only magical girls, but ninja vampires into the mix. I cannot wait to see what they have come up with for this upcoming season.

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Based on the Haiyoru! Nyaruani anime, this follows Nyaruko, a Cthulu-type deity that is able to take on the form of a seemingly normal silver-haired girl. She saves Mahiro Yasaka, a high school student when he is attacked by aliens one night. A charming love story between a Lovecraftian horror and a young man.

Especially notable in my mind due to the format that the original show was presented, i.e. as 4-5 minute long flash cartoons, half of which were taken up by the credits. I think it will be very interesting to see how they translate it into full length episodes.

Sankarea

Chiharu Furuya is a fan of zombies. He likes everything about zombies, he loves the culture, movies, video games, and the myths and legends. One fateful day, his cat dies; he logically decides to try to resurrect Babu (the aforementioned cat) as a zombie. Through his work to revive his cat, he befriends the local idol, Rea Sanka, and he finds she wants to escape her responsibilities by becoming a zombie herself.

This is easily one of my favourite mangas in recent memory. Its unique setup and plot make it immediately memorable, and I will be horrified if they somehow manage to botch this given the quality of the source material. Needless to say, I have high hopes for this project.

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia

At a particular private academy there are many stories of hauntings and ghosts throughout its history, many of which involve the female entity named Yuuko. Teiichi Niya is a first year student at the academy, and for some reason, he can see Yuuko. She has no memory of her life, her death, or who or what may have caused it. Teiichi and Yuuko form a Paranormal Investigation club to get to the bottom of the mysteries surround the school and Yuuko’s identity.

There isn’t a lot of negative stuff I can say about this manga. The story is unique, the characters are solid, and the art is breathtaking. I will confess to liking my manga to be on the light-hearted side, but this goes to some of the darkest places I have ever seen any story go, and I find myself wanting more after every new chapter. If I had to, I might just give this one the prestigious Most Anticipated New Anime Award (as determined by me).

Sakamichi no Appolon

Kaoru’s family moves around a lot, and he never really gets the chance to make any lasting relationships. But in the early summer of 1966, he transfers into the local high school from Yokosuka. On his first day, he meets another boy and begins a new direction in life.

I will admit to not having heard a lot about this one. I don’t need to know much about it with Shinichiro Watanabe and Yoko Kanno at the helm, though. After loving series like Samurai Champloo and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, I can see nothing but good in the future for this one.

This is hardly a complete list of the Spring 2012 season. This is merely highlighting some of the shows that I will be keeping a close eye on in the coming months. If you want to see what’s coming to form your own opinions, you can check what’s on the upcoming schedule here.