Posts Tagged ‘star driver’

And here we are again for another look the season that was. As with previous seasons, many series got off to a strong start with compelling and interesting premiere episodes before quickly fizzling out. As I went through the various series last month, it didn’t take long to realize that there were few series that needed some kind of ambiguous middle ground rating. Instead series pretty much fell very squarely into three categories:  “Win!” went to a couple of can’t miss weekly series, “Fail!” went to a few more terrible premieres and “Maybe later” for those series that could have long term potential even if their short term trials were weak.

So where did your favorite fall series land? Read on to find out. I managed to get through 14 series last month and have listed them out chronologically below the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

 

Always wanted to work for an anime studio? Well, Studio Bones is hiring artists but only select individuals are going to have a shot at these jobs. Specifically those select individuals who want it bad enough to draw themselves doing an anime pose.

In the job listing it states that along with their resumes, medical certificates, school transcripts and proof of graduation applicants must also submit an upper body portrait of themselves doing the Kiraboshi pose from their new series Star Driver. Those who want to chase their dreams should also be willing to live on 80,000 yen (about $770) a month for the first year. Which, to me, sounds like a nice diet of ramen in all flavors of the rainbow. Applications are being accepted until October 29th with a testing date scheduled for November.

 

<Via ANN>

Star Driver
Studio: Bones
Premiere Date: 10/3

 

First Impression: I may have just watched the best first episode of the season.

 

Taking place on an island in the south, two teenagers are walking along the beach one night when they find a boy washed up on the shore. His name is Takuto and he swam from the mainland because he missed the ferry and didn’t want to miss out on living out his high school life. The two that he meets are Wako, a girl who also happens to be one of the island’s four sacred maidens, and Shindou who’s just handsome and rich. After getting initially settled in, Takuto will begin his high school adventures by stumbling across a secret organization and a plot to kidnap Wako.

 

Good and the Bad

I have to be upfront here, I really wasn’t looking forward to watching this series. I had seen the early previews, read the story synopsis and discovered that it was a boy and his giant robot, big deal. Now after one episode, I’m floored and ready to be blown away again.

Between the animation, pacing and writing, there are few flaws to be found within this episode. Putting aside the story elements that don’t make sense (Takuto swam from the mainland because he missed the ferry? We’re just going to go with that?), the first episode of Star Driver works very hard at creating a memorable first impression and succeeds every step of the way.

Very laid back in its approach, there is no rush to introducing the characters and story elements. After the main characters are introduced, the series spends the first half of the episode casually bringing characters together for slowly unfolding scenes that allow them to get to know each other. No one is automatically best friends but there is a feeling of naturalness between them that makes them easy to like.

Once the story starts to get introduced, things take a direct turn without getting confusing. When you’re done watching this, it will be easy to go back and think about all of the traditional genre elements that are inserted along the way: the evil organizations, Takuto discovering his giant robot to send the enemy of the week packing, the standard robot posing in front of a giant explosion shot. They’re all there but to watch it play out you’ll never notice thanks to being way too engrossed to care.

With most of the series I’ve sampled this season, there has been a running theme of predictability. Star Driver is the first series this season that has actually left me with genuine questions that I now want to know the answers to. While relationships are still being formed, I’m now finding myself having real doubts about where I think things might go next. Will Wako end up with one hero or the other? Is this a story where one will realize his feelings too late and turn on the other? For once this season, I have no idea what the answers are but I’m already prepared to watch more to find out.

Even if you wanted to debate the quality level of the writing, it’s hard to argue that the animation created by Bones is absolutely stunning. In the first introductory moments, Star Driver managed to hook me in with its quiet beach setting. Eerily inviting when paired with the music and shading, the world felt like a genuine place to get lost in almost right away. Late in the episode when Takuto discovers his power and does battle, the look and intensity had my eyes glued to the screen with no chance of escape.

Music

In a season that has been filled to the brim with mediocre, it’s nice to find the first series of the season that can be amazing in both its animation and music. Right away, the first woodwind theme that accompanies Wako and Shindou on the beach creates an amazing sense of a larger world just beyond the surface. Later in the episode, Takuto’s entrance to the dorms manages to accomplish this again with its strings before capping off the second half with a hauntingly beautiful vocal melody. Satoru Kousaki is composing the music for three series this season and if this is what I can expect from him all the time I’m going to be one happy anime fan.

 

Overall

There’s always a chance that Star Driver could crash and burn along the way. If this series can maintain even half this level of quality throughout the entire season however, this could be one of the best shows of the season. Stunning visuals matched with an interesting story hook makes this one an easy choice. If you want to watch something good this season, you want to watch this.

Everyone recovered from the summer? Good because it’s time for another couple dozen titles to start premiering. While AIC has been busy this year, this season it’s JC Staff that is blowing everyone away with five different titles premiering made up of four TV series and one OVA (Otome Youkai Zakuro, Tantei Milky Opera Holmes, Bakuman, A Certain Magical Index S2, A Certain Scientific Railgun OVA). Staying busy themselves, Studio Deen, Studio Pierrot, Xebec and AIC are busy with two series each of their own while a number of others are contributing one each to the new season.

As for the spread, there’s no one genre that seems to be dominating. There are still a healthy number of moe titles proving that even if the genre is dying it’s not going down quietly. A couple of eroge adaptations are certain to catch the attention of a few (including the yaoi shippers who will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on Toaigu no Chi).

All of the information, images, credits, etc have been gathered from various sources including Anime News Network, My Anime List, AniDB, official websites and more. All information and images retain original copyrights and I claim no ownership over anything on this page but the words I typed. But enough with this long drawn out introduction, let’s get into the breakdown!

Note: A few series were purposely excluded from this list for various reasons: Shaun the Sheep, You Are Umasou TV, Tachi Yumaru Gekijou, Pocket Monster: Best Wishes and Agriculture Girl

Hetalia Axis Powers Fourth Season
Studio: Studio Deen
Premiere Date: 9/10
Genre: Comedy

Story

The countries are back and I bet Italy is still yelling about pasta every once in awhile too.

Why You Should Care

The new season features two new characters joining the cast: Norway and Denmark.

Battle Spirits: Brave
Studio: Sunrise
Premiere Date: 9/12
Genre: Action
Adapted From: Card Game
Sequel

Story

The return of the action card battle game which only lasts for 13 episodes this time around.

Why You Should Care

This series marks the first appearance of Daisuke Ono as Clackey and singing the ending theme.

Super Robot Wars OG: The Inspector
Studio: Asahi Production
Premiere Date: 10/1
Genre: Mecha
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

The DC War starts again as aliens from space arrive to finish the job. With a new war breaking out, characters will be forced to choose loyalties and fight for their survival once again.

Why You Should Care

Masami Obari has never worked on the Super Robot Wars franchise but he has directed other decent mech series like Gravion.

Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt
Studio: GAINAX
Premiere Date: 10/1
Genre: Ecchi Action/Comedy
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

A city is invaded by weird ghosts and so heaven sends down two angels, Panty (the blonde idol) and Stocking (the gothic lolita) to exterminate them. What they (and the world) don’t realize is that they were actually kicked out of heaven for being bad.

Why You Should Care

Believe it or not, the same man who directed Gurren Lagann, Hiroyuki Imaishi, will be sitting in the director’s chair for this one as well.

Sora no Otoshimono: Forte
Heaven’s Lost Property: Forte
Studio: AIC ASTA
Premiere Date: 10/1
Genre: Harem Comedy
Sequel
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

A new season of ecchi comedy featuring a perverted, pacifist boy, the pet class angelroid living with him and the various other females in his life creating misunderstandings.

Why You Should Care

For the most part the cast and crew remain the same. Two new animation directors are joining the crew along with two new characters; Daidalos (Asuka Ogame – Lizleat in Omamori Himari) and Astrea (Kaori Fukuhara – Tsukasa in Lucky Star).

Second change from season 1 is that there will be only 1 OP/ED theme performed by Hitomi Yoshida and Saori Hayami (Ikaros). Hopefully that doesn’t completely eliminate the chances of a second flying panty sequence since that was one of the few highlights of the first season.

Iron Man
Studio: Madhouse
Premiere Date: 10/1
Genre: Action
Adapted From: American Comic
Trailer

Story

Tony Stark comes to Japan to attend the opening of a new peace station. During the ceremony, he is attacked by a mysterious organization called the Zodiac and he must don the iron suit.

Why You Should Care

The first of four Marvel anime adaptations, this one could will set an interesting tone for what fans should expect from the next three as well.

It’s not quite a simulcast but the series will be airing next year on G4.

The animation is being produced by Madhouse but the script is being created by award winning writer Warren Ellis who worked on the Iron Man comic in 2005-2006 but has been with Marvel since the mid 90′s.

Bakuman
Studio: J.C. Staff
Premiere Date: 10/2
Genre: Comedy
Adapted From: Manga
Trailer

Story

A junior high school student named Mashiro is pursued by his best friend to start a manga together. After his famous mangaka uncle died from overwork, Mashiro is hesitant to follow in those footsteps. After getting some friends together who agree to also create an anime once the manga is finished (including his crush who also agrees get married and live together with Mashiro once it’s done) he begins his trek to becoming a famous mangaka like his uncle.

Why You Should Care

I am REALLY intrigued by this concept!

One of the directors, Kenichi Kasai, directed Kimikiss pure rogue, Honey and Clover, Aoi Hana and Nodame Cantabile (he also directed Miracle Train but try not to hold that against him).

Tegami Bachi Season 2
Letter Bee Season 2
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Premiere Date: 10/2
Genre: Action/Drama
Sequel
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

At the close of the first season, Lag Seeing thought that he had found the one he was searching for. In the second season, Lag’s search for answers regarding his hero and his mother continues as he delivers more letters across dangerous terrain.

Why You Should Care

Letter Bee season 1 was surprisingly well done in terms of writing, story and animation making this worth picking up if you haven’t already.

For the most part, the cast and crew are completely the same beyond a new face in charge of series composition, Masanao Akahoshi.

Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan Season 2
Studio: Studio DEEN
Premiere Date: 10/2
Genre: Historical Action
Sequel

Story

The return Chizuru and her reverse harem made up of the Shinsengumi during the Edo period as they search for answers and battle evil oni within the city.

Why You Should Care

Studio DEEN is only producing 2 shows this season; this and Hetalia Season 4. This makes me sad.

Only a few crew members have been revealed but so far it’s all the same as season 1.

MM!
Studio: Xebec
Premiere Date: 10/2
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Adapted From: Light Novels

Story

A high school boy named Taro Sado discovers that he’s a masochist but must keep this a secret from the girl he has a crush on. To get help, he joins the 2^nd Volunteer Club at school which consists of a girl who thinks she’s god and another who caused Sado’s masochism in the first place.

Why You Should Care

The second of 4 roles this season for Jun Fukuyama playing the role of Taro Sado (other roles are in Battle Spirits, Togainu no Chi and Tegami Bachi Reverse) and the first of 2 for Sayaka Ohara (Tamayura) and Rie Tanaka (Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge).

Amongst key crew members; this is only the second series Tsuyoshi Nagasawa has directed with the other being Kyo no Go no ni. The writers, Naoko Marukawa and Rie Oga, have written D.I.C.E., Kanokon OVA and The Sacred Blacksmith (or 3 episodes of it) which suddenly fills me with a little less confidence.

Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai
My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute
Studio: AIC
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Comedy
Adapted From: Light Novel
Availabie via Aniplex USA
Trailer

Story

A high school boy has a very strained relationship with his professional model little sister that involves little more than exchanging pleasantries even though they live together. After he finds a moe anime DVD in her bag, she eventually reveals that she’s actually a closet otaku which changes their relationship dynamically.

Why You Should Care

This is the first series of the season that I’m already thinking will be impossible to resist once it starts.

Interesting to note: The director, Hiroyuki Kanbe, has only directed one other series, Viper’s Creed. Writer Hideyuki Kurata, on the other hand, has written everything from classics (Battle Athletes, Excel Saga) to more recent hits (Bamboo Blade, Read or Die, Sasameki Koto).

Additionally, this is one of three series with music composed by Satoru Kousaki (Bakemonogatari, Haruhi Suzumiya). Dude is popular this season.

If the leads sound a little familiar you might be recognizing Ayana Taketatsu as Azusu in K-ON or Yuuichi Nakamura as Akira in Dance in the Vampire Bund or Tomoya in Clannad.

Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Girls
Studio: ARMS
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Ecchi Action
Adapted From: Novel
Available via The Anime Network
Trailer

Story

In an alternative Japan where the Tokugawa shogunate remained in power, schools are now places where students are deeply oppressed. In an act of rebellion, a high school boy named Yagyuu teams up with a team of female students who were all named for famous samurai and swordsmen to take on the student council.

Why You Should Care

Trailers and an early first episode preview have confirmed that this series is going to be this season’s Queen’s Blade. No shock since it’s from the same studio, ARMS.

The first of only 2 series this season for Aki Tokosaki (she’s also performing in Otome Yokai Zakuro) and the only appearance this season from Rie “Tsundere Queen” Kugimiya.

Best news (?) is that the opening theme is sung by Faylan (CANAAN, Seikon no Qwaser).

Shinrei Tantei Yakumo
Psychic Detective Yakumo
Studio: Bee Train
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Supernatural Mystery
Adapted From: Novel
Trailer

Story

A college student said to psychic powers is enlisted by a girl to help a friend who is possessed by a spirit. After dealing with that, the psychic named Yakumo will solve other mysteries related to ghosts in the city.

Why You Should Care

Not everyone is a fan of theirs but anytime Bee Train puts out something new, I always encourage people to check them out.

Hiroyuki Kawasaki has some duds in his past but he also has some hits including Sakura Taisen, Hell Girl season 2 and Irresponsible Captain Tylor.

Fan favorite Daisuke Ono makes his first appearance of the season here as Yakumo while also singing the opening theme.

Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto
Studio: Bones
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Mecha
Trailer

Story

On an island, a giant robot called a ‘Cybuddy’ (kind of like My Buddy?) is found buried deep underground. A mysterious group kidnaps a girl determined to be the key to activating the robot when a young boy named Takuto arrives with his own Cybuddy to rescue her and prevent war from breaking out.

Why You Should Care

Studio Bones can do giant mech series and to prove it you only need to look at Eureka Seven, Heroman and RahXephon.

The writer for this series is Yoji Enokido who penned FLCL and Redline (one of which I know is bat shit insane and the other I’ve heard as much). Backing that up is music composed by Satoru Kousaki (second series this season for him).

Arakawa Under the Bridge x Bridge
Studio: Shaft
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Comedy
Sequel

Story

The very weird stories continue about Riku who now lives under the bridge with his fiance Nino and the very weird people they call neighbors.

Why You Should Care

Cast and crew are remaining entirely the same from the first season.

Yumeiro Patissiere Professional
Studio: Studio Pierrot
Premiere Date: 10/3
Genre: Shoujo Cooking
Sequel
Available via Crunchyroll

Story

This sequel picks up 2 years after the first season left off. Ichigo is now in high school and making new friends while still pursuing her dream of being an amazing pastry chef.

Why You Should Care

The writing staff has decreased by one but other than that, everything remains the same for the second season.

Yosuga no Sora
Studio: feel
Premiere Date: 10/4
Genre: Romance
Adapted From: Eroge
Trailer

Story

After losing their parents to an accident, two siblings go to live with their grandfather. As the two start to remember things from their childhoods and the summers they spent there, the pair’s ulterior motives for moving start to surface.

Why You Should Care

“Quick, we’re producing a sibling romance… get the Aki Sora guy!” – yeah, same director: Takeo Takahashi.

This one will be premiering on Satellite station AT-X, a mostly safe haven for perverted. This doesn’t necessarily guarantee an ecchi series… but it is an eroge adaptation so yeah, draw your conclusion here.

Shinryaku! Ika Musume
Squid Girl
Studio: Diomedea
Premiere Date: 10/4
Genre: Comedy
Adapted From: Manga
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

A squid girl from the ocean comes onto land to take over the world but wrecks the first headquarters she moves into. Now indebted to the sisters who own the house, she has to start working to pay it off.

Why You Should Care

The second series this season that I’ve largely given up hope of being able to resist once it premieres.

Squid Girl is directed by Tsutomu Mizushima who has done lots of cute comedies such as xxxHolic, Magical Witch Punie Chan, Hare+Guu, and Genshiken.

The cast is led by Ayumi Fujimura (Misaki in Kaichou wa Maid sama, Cecily in The Sacred Blacksmith), Rie Tanaka (Minna-Dietlinde in Strike Witches, Nyx in Queen’s Blade) and Hisako Kanemoto (Kanata in Sora no Woto) as Squid Girl.

Otome Youkai Zakuro
Studio: J.C. Staff
Premiere Date: 10/4
Genre: Alternative History
Adapted From: Manga
Available via Crunchyroll
Trailer

Story

In an alternative version of the Meiji era, humans and yokai live side by side but not entirely harmoniously. To combat this, a group of young, fox eared, female yokai are recruited to work with young human soldiers to create a peaceful coexistence.

Why You Should Care

Directing this series will be Chiaki Kon. You might already be familiar with her style without even realizing it since she directed Junjo Romantica, Nodame Cantabile: Paris and the first season of Higurashi: When They Cry.

Names like Mai Nakahara (Nagisa in Clannad, Rena in Higurashi: When They Cry) as Zakuro, Aki Toyosaki (Yui in K-ON) as Hozuki and Yui Horie (Tsubasa in Bakemonogatari, Yuki in Vampire Knight) as Bonbori will make this a fun cast to listen to.

Watching the trailer makes me feel like this series is going to be a cross between Strike Witches and Moeyo Ken.

Motto To Love Ru
More To Love Ru
Studio: Xebec
Premiere Date: 10/5
Genre: Fantasy Harem Comedy
Sequel
Trailer

Story

More adventures with Rito and his fiancé from the planet Deviluke, Princess Lala.

Why You Should Care

The popular harem comedy returns with a new director (Atsushi Ootsuki – Kanokon, Ladies vs. Butlers), an entirely new set of writers and a new voice for Peke (Aki Toyosaki – Yui in K-ON). Everything else is staying the same.

Opening theme is sung by veteran singer KOTOKO!

Soredemo Machi wa Mawatteiru
Studio: Shaft
Premiere Date: 10/7
Genre: Maid Comedy/Slice of Life
Adapted From: Manga
Trailer

Story

A series about the happenings within the Seaside Maid Cafe which features one worker who wants to be a detective, one who is a super perfectionist and one who is an old woman that just enjoys maid cosplay.

Why You Should Care

The opening theme is being performed by Maaya Sakamoto which means watching just the opening animation is worth your time.

There’s an entirely good chance that you’ve already enjoyed one series from director Akiyuki Shinbo already: Arakawa Under the Bridge, Bakemonogatari, Hidamari Sketch, Negima or Sayonara Zetsubou sensei just to name a few.

Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
Studio: J.C. Staff
Premiere Date: 10/7
Genre: Fantasy
Adapted From: Card Game
Trailer

Story

In a fantasy city where world class private detectives battle evil phantom thieves, four young girls work hard to catch thieves. Collectively they work for the agency Milky Holmes and seek to solve their own cases and mysteries.

Why You Should Care

Cute girls with special powers solving cute mysteries.

Want to know just how cute this series might actually get? It’s being directed by Makoto Moriwaki who also directed LilPri, Onegai My Melody and a 1999 series of shorts about a hamster titled Oruchuban Ebichu.

Togainu no Chi
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Premiere Date: 10/7
Genre: Action
Adapted From: Manga/Yaoi Eroge
Available via Aniplex USA
Trailer

Story

At the close of a war, the city of Toshima (formally Tokyo) is taken over by Viscio crime syndicate. In another area, a man named Akira has been falsely accused of a crime and the only way for him to regain his freedom is to go to Toshima and destroy the crime syndicate

Why You Should Care

A dark action series produced produced by A-1 Pictures? Already sounds like fun.

Bishounen alert: the series may be adapted from a manga but it was originally a yaoi eroge created by Nitroplus.

Jun Fukuyama (Lelouch in Code Geass) is staying busy this season with the lead role here along with appearances in MM! and Tegami Bachi Reverse.

As always, I’ve double and triple checked this list to make sure that I’ve corrected any errors. I’m not perfect though and so if you notice any, feel free to point them out so that I can make the fix. Be sure to keep checking back over the course of the month as I post up my early impressions from as many new series as I can squeeze into my schedule and next week when I post up Part 2 of the season preview which covers the second week, OVAs and beyond!

Can you believe that we’re only a month away from the fall anime season? Man, time flies when you’re desperately trying to forget about how miserable the summer has been.

Seikon no Qwaser: A 91 second fan service fest… trailer I mean has gone live on YouTube for the upcoming Seikon no Qwaser OAD. The new release will feature a special 10.5 episode and ships in October along with the new manga volume. – I didn’t care about the breast feeding anime when it premiered earlier this year and I don’t care about it now.

Hana Saku Iroha: Need to cleanse your palette after that? Yeah I don’t blame you so here’s the new 100 second trailer for the PA Works upcoming 10th anniversary project which started streaming recently on the official website. Ah, so much cuter and less poisoning to the mind.

Star Driver: From Studio Bones comes this new series in October featuring a young boy who washes ashore on an island but houses a secret: a giant robot deep underground. – Eh, it looks pretty but sorry… it just looks like another boy with a giant robot story.

Tamayura: The third ‘healing’ anime from director Junichi Sato (Sailor Moon) has had its new 15 second PV posted to the official website. It really only shows some character art and features the OP in the background but eh, it looks cute enough I suppose. The series will be released straight to DVD starting in November.

Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt: Filed under the Gainax, fall anime and cannot unsee categories comes this new trailer for their upcoming series Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. I have no idea what this series is about but it looks terrible and if this trailer is an accurate depiction of what the series is like I hope that it dies a very quick death and is forgotten about before the animation can even grow cold. Don’t hit play unless you really, really mean it.

Tegami Bachi Reverse: Ooh finally we get to see the truth behind Gauche Suede in the second season! After being simulcast last year, the sequel to the fantastical mail delivery series has released its first trailer to the TV Tokyo website. The new season premieres October 2nd. – Anyone else think it would’ve been kind of cool for the series to be named something a little more bad ass like Tegami Bachi: Return to Sender? Anyone?

Other than a couple of larger than average announcements, this has been a fairly quiet week for anime news. Only two new anime were announced this week but another was finally confirmed to exist so it wasn’t a terrible week at least.

New Anime:

Star Driver -Kagayaki no Tact: The first studio to make a new announcement this week was Studio Bones who have revealed a brand new original robot story. The new series will be titled Star Driver -Kagayaki no Tact and feature a boy named Tact who pilots a robot named Tauburn. No details were given about a release date but the crew attached so far includes Takuya Igarashi (Ouran High School Host Club, Sailor Stars, Soul Eater) as director, Yoji Enokido (FLCL, Neon Genesis Evangelion [TV], Sailor Moon S) writing the script, Ito Yoshiyuki doing character designs and Kosaki Satoru (Bakemonogatari, Lucky Star, Kannagi) composing the music. – A boy pilots pilots a giant robot; wow that sounds… exactly like hundreds of other series. Still, two former Sailor Moon staffers doing a giant mech series? I’m intrigued.

Crackdown 2: It was announced this week that four special comedy anime episodes will be produced by Gonzo for the upcoming game, Crackdown 2 from Microsoft. The game centers on a battle machine named Agent who has been sent into Pacific City to take out all the gangs. The episodes will be directed by Takahiro Yoshimatsu (Trigun, Shingu: Secret of the Stellar Wars, Slayers Great, Slayers Return). – You have got to love how hard Gonzo has been fighting this year. While the popular rumor is that the studio is still circling the drain, they sure are putting up a fight along the way.

To aru Majutsu no Index Returns: Originally rumored in an earlier Catch Up post, it’s now been confirmed that the action series To aru Majutsu no Index will be getting a second season. There was no official release date announced but a new PSP fighting game will be released this winter so I’m going to go out on a limb and say the anime will be released around that time. – Hopefully there will be a little less Touma and a little more Index, Koeme, Misaka and Kuroko this time around.

Wrapping things up this week, Japan has decided to take a little piece of Anime Expo away. Why? Just to bother you I’d imagine.

Japan Takes Away Black Lagoon AX World Premiere: Alright, ‘take away’ is a really strong phrase but it’s certainly not exactly exclusive anymore. The official website for the new Black Lagoon: Roberta’s Blood Trail OVA series has announced that the first episode will be getting TV premieres on various stations between June 26th-29th, a week before the California convention. The episode will be edited for television and so the screening at AX will still be the first US, uncut premiere but still, they couldn’t just wait until the same weekend so that US fans could feel just a little special?