Autumn 2012 anime preview

Written by A. H. on 17 Sep 2012

Now that the nights are drawing in and there's a discernible nip in the air on a dew-soaked morning, you'd be forgiven for starting to ponder a few months of staying indoors and doing nothing but watching anime all day.  A good thing then that this 2012 autumn anime season is so packed to the rafters that the rafters have splintered and collapsed, posing a notable health and safety hazard for passers-by.

Anyhow, I digress - with over forty new series airing this autumn, how are you supposed to know what you should be watching?  That, dear friend, is where we come in, so grab yourself a coffee or three as we guide you through the good and bad of the coming months, complete with images, trailers and other broadcast information wherever we can find them.

Aikatsu!

Official web site
First Japanese broadcast date: October 8th, 7:30PM

We begin our season preview courtesy of one of the staples of any anime season - a series based around a collectible card game.  This particular title, targeted at girls, involves helping idols pass various auditions, mostly by choosing clothes for them.

Should I watch it?  If you like the idea of being some kind of fashion-obsessed Simon Cowell, then... you should probably seek professional help.  That aside, trading card games that are turned into anime rarely prove to be anything other than dull, and even its female demographic are unlikely to be blown away by this one I'd wager.

Aoi Sekai no Chuusin de

Official web site
First Japanese broadcast date: October 20th, 10PM

If you're a fan of Nintendo and Sega's consoles and games, then this could just be the autumn season series for you - Aoi Sekai no Chuusin de (aka In the Centre of the Blue World in English) is the first of three series adapting of an on-going fantasy manga series which relates the tale of two kingdoms, known as Segua and Ninterdo (you can see where this is going, right?) in the midst of a war to dominate their land.  Needless to say, all of its characters are parodies of those from well-known console games.

Should I watch it?  Its concept is either genius or a disaster in the making (I'm genuinely undecided as to which), but if nothing else this could be an enjoyable series to watch simply so that you can play "spot the parody" throughout its run in animated form.

Bakuman - Season 3

Official web site
First Japanese broadcast date: October 6th, 5:30PM

JC Staff returns to the helm for the third and final series of Bakuman, completing  its decidedly meta anime adaptation about two young wannabe manga artists and their trials and tribulations not just within the manga business, but also with love and life in general.

Should I watch it?  If you've followed the series thus far, then you'll surely want to see how it all ends for Mashiro and Takagi - expect more very direct translations of the source material to the small screen, complete with both the good and bad aspects such a tight adaptation entails.

Battle Spirits: Sword Eyes

Official web site
First Japanese broadcast date: September 9th, 7AM

Nobody wants a sword with eyes... apart from Sunrise perhaps, who produce this series based upon (you guessed it) a collectible card game.  Set over a decade after its world was torn apart by riots (no, it isn't set in London), a young boy named Tsurugi Tatewaki grows up oblivious as to what transpired at the time of his birth until he is called upon to begin an adventure to rise up against the forces of evil by a "Shining Sword".

Should I watch it?  This is actually the fifth anime series revolving around the world of Battle Spirits, so unless you've been sufficiently interested to check any of those prior instalments out I doubt you'll find any reason to watch this one.  Besides which, the series started earlier this month, so you'll need to catch up if you start on it now!