Summer 2012 anime preview

Written by A. H. on 20 Jun 2012

The summer should probably be redolent of beaches, bikinis and barbecues - sadly, we live in the UK so for the most part we can only dream of such things.  However, help is at hand to while away those rainy days indoors - a new season of anime!

Although the summer season isn't usually the strongest (or the most packed with new shows), allow us to guide you through what might be hot and what most certainly will not for the summer 2012 anime season!

Arve Rezzle: Kikai Jikake no Yousei-tachi

We kick off, unsurprisingly, with a light novel adaptation, as ZEXCS take on animation duties for Arve Rezzle.  With a subtitle which translates effectively as "Mechanised Fairies" this near future science-fiction series takes place in 2022 and a time where computers are about to surpass the abilities of humans in a constantly connected world.  When a strange event sees many individuals who were directly connected to networks become "lost", one boy seeks to find the lost soul and mind of his sister in cyberspace.

Should I watch it? I have to confess, its premise sounds pretty interesting, like some kind of Ghost in the Shell-lite if you will - I have no expectations of the series living up to anything even close to that billing, but it might be worth a look to see what it does with its concept.

Binbou-gami ga!

Adapted from a supernatural fantasy anime of the same name, Binbou-gami ga (or "The God of poverty is..." to give it an English title) stars Sakuro Ichiko, a sixteen year-old girl who has unwittingly been draining all of the happiness from the world around her to power her own brains and beauty.  The imbalance this causes comes to the attention of a "poverty god" named Momiji, who sets out to restore the balance upset by her powers.

Should I watch it? This series is a Sunrise offering, which should afford it some decent production values - the key to the series' success is what it does with its idea, and with some solid source material and a Gintama director behind it this might just prove to be a surprise hit of the summer.

Blood Lad

Although it still isn't 100% confirmed for a summer season showing, this on-going black comedy manga (which may soon be getting a western release if rumours are to be believed) tells the tale of a vampire otaku named Staz - that is, he is a vampire who is an otaku, not an otaku of vampires.  Despite being a boss within the demon world, Staz is really more interested in Japanese culture than blood-sucking, so when a Japanese girl wanders into the demon realm he's more than a little excited... at least, he is until she's killed by a monster.  Can he bring Fuyumi, the girl in question, back to life?

Should I watch it? Although the whole "character x is an otaku!" idea is getting a bit old, this sounds like it could be a fun enough series if handled proficiently.

Campione!

It's light novel time again, as on-going series Campione gets the adaptation treatment courtesy of Diomedea.  Essentially, the series is a harem comedy with fantasy battle elements, so expect lots of girls alternating between slicing people with swords and draping themselves over the sixteen year-old male protagonist who also happens to be the "god killer" of the show's title.

Should I watch it?  Did someone say harem love comedy... when did we last see a genuinely good take on that subject matter?  I rest my case.