First look at the new titles for Spring 2014

Its that time of the year.  The all important Spring roll out.  All the hot new titles hit the air waves in the beginning of April.  Time to see what's in store that I can enjoy.

Keroro – The invasion of the frogs has been rebooted.  This time in 3 minute installments.  For reference look up the original half hour comedy series Keroro Gunso that ran for some 200 episodes the past decade.

    While I welcome the return of Keroro and the rest of the gang, the first episode was essentially a redo of the first few minutes of the original series first episode.  I have to watch the other 2 that have come out since, but so far I am not impressed…

Mishi-shi  - 8 years after the original anime, we see a return of the adventures of Ginko, helping those plagues by mushi.

    This will probably be my favorite series of the year, hands down.  The original is awesome and with the first episode it fits right back into its groove.  So happy to see this return!

One Week Friends – Yuki Hase is determined to be friends with the cold and distant Kaori Fujimiya.  After charming the pants off of her (figuratively not literally) she tells him on Friday to forget about the days they have spent with each other eating lunch because as of Monday she will lose all of her memories.

    So far I really like this, it reminds me a bit of the movie 50 First Dates.  It’s easy going and mellow.  I like the concept and it will be fun to watch Hase-kun try to get Fujimiya to remember him when her memories reset at the beginning of each week.

Brynhildr in the Darkness – Ryota Murakami has carried a heavy weight of regret since his childhood friend, who he only knew as Kuroneko, died trying to save him from dying.  Since then he has vowed to remember her by finding proof of alien life (which was an obsession of hers).  In high school, with plans to work for NASA, a transfer student named Neko Kuroha brings with her mysteries and confusion.  Ryota is convinced she is his long dead friend.  When she exposes to him that she knows when people are going to die and can use scientifically enhanced magic, his world seems to be heading into a completely different direction.

    I really am not sure on this one yet.  Too much of it smells of otaku-fodder.  According to the OP and ED there will be a young girl dresses like a maid.  Apparently Kuroha is part of a group of girls who are magical users and are trying to save the world from destruction.  Plus, some asshat at Crunchyroll translated a line by a side character as ‘amazaballs’.  Really Crunchyroll, really?  Anyways…I’ll give it a few more episodes to decide if I want to keep watching it, but something tells me it won’t be sticking around long in my que.

Captain Earth – Daichi Manatsu’s father died while working as an astronaut when he was a young boy.  Now a failing high school student, memories from a long past summer spent on the island his father worked on make him return to figure things out.  When he sneaks into the facility he discovers that that its actually a secret organization masquerading as a space agency.  He soon finds himself piloting a mech in space, awaiting the arrival of an alien menace.

    OK…this is pretty much a mash up of Evangelion and Gundam realized by a group of current crop otaku.  It’s filled with catch phrases, played out shonen themes and ready-for-cosplay characters.  I really don’t think I will be watching this series much longer…I don’t think it’s going to come up with anything revolutionary like Eva.  The mech design is a serious rip off of Gundam too…

(seriously?!)

The World is Still Beautiful - Pricness Nike of the Rain Country has been chosen out of her sisters to be wed to the King of the Sun Country.  She accepts this arrangement and travels from her small, rural nation to the mightiest country in the world.  When she arrives she discovers she has a lot to learn in the world as she has to deal with all sorts of unscrupulous people.  Can she really marry the powerful Sun King and what are his intentions?

    This may be the first fantasy series in a really long time that I watch.  The main character is actually pretty likeable and I am intrigued by the undertones of conspiracy in the story.  There is a good amount of comedy as well but I think as the story progresses it will become more series.  It feels a lot like Pumpkin Scissors.  So, we shall see how it progresses!

The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior - Kazunari Usa begins high school by leaving home to live in a dorm near his school.  He does so to start a quiet and productive life, opposite of his time in middle school.  Instead he finds that the residents of the dorm hes staying at are insane and the girl he falls for is one of them.  Can he achieve the happiness he seeks and can he win over his dream girls icy heart?

  This series REALLY reminds me of an updated attempt at Maison Ikkoku.  I like it.  The humor is offbeat, the side characters are entertaining and the main Usa is a good straight man character.  This should be a fun little adventure.

Black Bullet - In 2021 humanity is fighting against extinction at the hands of an infection dubbed Gastea.  The Gastea virus takes over a persons DNA and transforms them into a mindless giant insect/arachnid.  Rentaro Satomi is an orphan from the fight and 10 years later he works for a semi-private civil organization who specializes in combating Gastrea infections.  Unlike the police, these civil organizations are equipped with ammunition made from a metal that Gastrea are succeptable to.  Rentaro is know as a Promoter, who is paired up with an Initiator.  Initiators are also known as Cursed Children, they are all females who are born from mothers that were infected with Gastrea while in-utero.  Lost Children's bodies are slowly being infected by the virus but while they retain the shape of humans they exhibit extraordinary fighting abilities and are key to ensuring humanities continued existence.

    I am on the fence with this show.  it seems interesting, even if it appears to be a mash up of Evangelion, Attack on Titan and Darker Than Black.  There are a few things that bug me with it, first are the loli-con characters and the over sexed older female cast.  But the story may make that bearable.  There is an underlying plot that was laid out from the beginning; a mysterious figure who is bent on destroying the world, which Rentaro has contact with.  So I will let this one go for a bit to see how the story develops before I decide to 86 it.  There are also elements that remind me of Code Geass...but not in the long play strategic trickery that show did so well