A new year is upon us and with it, comes a new batch of anime; both good and bad. Even though I still have a long list of shows I need to watch from previous years, there is something alluring about anticipating new episodes of a show every week and discussing the ongoing plot with friends. So is there anything new and fun out there to watch? Well, you just have to keep reading this article to find out. And make sure to check-out the second page for the fifth preview; I’ve definitely kept the best for last.

Hatenkou Yugi

Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Comedy, Adventure
Studio: DEEN
Episodes Watched/Subbed/Total: 3/5/10

Hatenkou Yugi is the story of a young girl named Razhel and her two male companions as they travel the world. So far each episode has been about our trio moving to a new town and getting mixed up in whatever interesting events that might be going on in that town. Razhel is a sorcerer and her two companions seem quite strong and are usually satisfied with just beating up their opponents instead of using any weapons.

The character design, especially in the case of Razhel, is quite good and she is also rather fun to watch with her no-nonsense attitude; however that’s pretty much the only positive aspect of this anime. The show’s storyline feels very disconnected even within each individual episode and I couldn’t even tell how much time had passed between different events. The action also usually consists of a black screen with the sound of a punch leading to the next scene where the body of the beaten bad guy can be seen on the ground. Finally the plot rarely makes sense; in one scene our trio is surrounded by armed men and taken to prison; then after some chat they suddenly decide to break their chains with their bare hands and walk out of the prison, beating the hell out of the same armed men that had captured them in the process.

Overall I wasn’t impressed with Hatenkou Yugi at all and I doubt I’ll continue to watch the next episodes.

Outlook: Negative

Rosario + Vampire

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Ecchi
Studio: Gonzo
Episodes Watched/Subbed/Total: 4/7/13

When Tsukune fails to pass his highschool entrance exam, his parents pick a highschool invitation dropped by a priest from the street and send their son to an unknown school. To Tsukune’s horror and surprise, Youkai Academy turns out to be a school for monsters and his classmates turn out to be all manner of creatures from Ogres to Succubae to Lizzardmen. At that school Tsukune meets Moka, a vampire, who has been alone all her life and this is where the story of Rosario + Vampire begins.

I have to admit, there is nothing particularly outstanding about this anime. There are better comedies out there, the romance is pretty generic, there are way too many panty shots, cute girls are a dime a dozen in the anime world and the story is quickly spiraling towards the typical harem. Each individual piece is quite uninspiring, however when all are added together, we surprisingly get a show that is actually somewhat entertaining to watch. The character design and personalities are very attractive, the story is predictable yet fun and there are moments of laughter scattered throughout each episode. Also Rie Kugimia (Shana –Shakugan no Shana-) has a part in Rosario + Vampire, so that alone forces me to continue watching this show. Besides, you just have no other choice but to respect a show with a quote like “She’s a monster, but even monsters feel great!�

Outlook: Mildly Positive

Hakaba Kitaro

Genre: Horror, Supernatural
Studio: Toei Animation
Episodes Watched/Subbed/Total: 1/4/11

Hakabe Kitaro would be the 6th iteration of the Kitaro series, originally a 1959 manga by Shigeru Mizuki. The story is about Kitaro, a young boy and for the most part, the last surviving member of the Ghost Tribe. Kitaro fights to protect the humans from the many demons who awaken to threaten the world.

Based on the information available to me, it seems that this iteration of the series is planned to be the most faithful to the original source material and nowhere is this fact more readily apparent than the look of the show. It indeed looks and feels quite different than most other anime produced the last few years. This choice, however, is a double edged sword; as much as fans of the series will be pleased with the dark and faithful representation of their favorite manga, most viewers will be turned off by what may appear to be outdated visuals and unattractive character design.

I have to admit that I myself belong to the second group. I never read the manga and the story doesn’t seem very original to me (though I’m quite sure that when it was first conceived in 1959, it was very original). The main reason I decided to watch this series was the fact that it was picked up by a fansub group that I particularly respect. I’m afraid this is another 2008 show which I will not be following.

Outlook: Neutral – For fans of the series and manga only

Strait Jacket

Genre: Horror, Action, Fantasy
Studio: Feel
Episodes Watched/Subbed/Total: 1/1/3

The year is 1899 and the recent discovery of magic has revolutionized our way of life, impacting all aspects of our society, from medicine to industry to warfare. However, since use of magic became common place, a very serious side-affect has also plagued the world. Magic overuse and improper maintenance of magical equipment has often lead to sorcery addiction, stripping an individual of their sanity and transforming them into blood thirsty and hideous monsters. The Strait Jackets, a group of combat sorcerers who specialize in the extermination of these monsters, risk their own lives and minds in order to safeguard our society from the dangers of sorcery addiction.

I have to admit, when I first read the synopses for this 3 part OVA series I thought “Mages fighting demons … haven’t I seen this countless times before?� But boy was I wrong; this definitely looks very different than the usual magic based anime and dare I say, feels rather original. First of all, sorcerers don’t practice magic in this world using wands or staves. Magic in Strait Jacket has been fused with technology and for example, our strait jackets themselves wear heavy suits of armor and fight with what very much looks like modern weapons and technology. But instead of fueling these weapons and gadgets with electricity or chemical reactions, they derive their energy from magic.

This OVA has excellent visuals and the action looks fantastic; definitely a lot of blood and gore in this one. The first part was only 25 minutes long, so thus far we’ve only had a basic introduction to the characters, the most important of whom is a rogue strait jacket named Ray Otto Steinberg. Despite this, I see great potential in this anime, however I’m not really sure how far they can take this with three 25 minute long episodes (that is if parts two and three are also only 25 minutes long). Hopefully the OVA will be a success and we’ll get to see a full season of the show.

Long story short, I really liked Strait Jacket and am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Outlook: Positive

Continue to Page Two for Our Feature Preview....

Next Page (2/2)