UlasanAnime.com – Forty days after the initial surge of new anime titles had subsided, a new wave of releases began to appear, reminiscent of a powerful military offensive.
It appears that the frontrunners for the season, excluding those still in contention, have become quite evident.
- Haruhi’s Melancholy, produced by KyoAni, is proving to be an unstoppable force.
- Ouran High School Host Club from Bones, while excellent, seems to be targeted primarily towards female and gay audiences.
- Nana showcases Madhouse at the peak of their creative prowess.
- The series Higurashi could be Studio Deen’s response to the success of titles like Fate, or perhaps it’s Simoun that will make a bigger impact.
- School Rumble 2 continues to deliver a consistent stream of clever humor.
- Meanwhile, Aria offers a refreshing escape, a serene island getaway, in contrast to the turbulent world depicted in other series.
It’s noteworthy that each of these prominent anime is spearheaded by a different, well-established animation studio. Studio Deen, for instance, has crafted impressive flying machines in Simoun, complete with sound effects that evoke the iconic roar of Vader’s custom TIE fighter, highlighting the intense competition akin to a battlefield. While most studios are engaged in this fierce contest, Bones and Madhouse have also achieved significant success. Bones has delivered Juuousei, a compelling tale of survival and transformation reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, and Madhouse has produced Black Lagoon, which is arguably the top recommendation for a broad audience this season. Studio Gonzo might be facing challenges, but perhaps their fortunes will change in the coming months. This season, it seems that studios have learned from the strategies of the past one to two years, with many releasing highly appealing shows that premiered around the same time.
The anime are competing fiercely, as if engaged in a war for our attention and minds. Their arsenals are diverse, including copious amounts of kissing — be it between girls, boys and girls, or even attempts at boy-boy relationships. There’s also a significant amount of bloodshed, and even more action sequences, some of which involve romantic encounters. The comedy ranges from the classic shoujo style to more unconventional approaches, and some series eschew comedy altogether. Romance is present in various forms, from its complete absence to abundant romantic subplots. The shows also feature low blows, an abundance of guns, attractive mothers, numerous sisters, and even bunny girls. The animation styles vary wildly, from crisp CG to deliberately unconvincing CG, and even those that appear to be CG but aren’t, alongside some truly terrible CG. The pacing can be either snail-paced or breakneck, with storytelling that can be linear or non-linear. And of course, there’s the ever-present fanservice, with the shoujo and josei demographic leading the charge, as seen in the sexually charged Nana. Following closely behind is the more intense Tokko, potentially funded by Manga Entertainment. The question remains: can maid boys truly outperform the magical girls of the 90s? Perhaps, if you’re a “dream user.”
The “casualties” of this intense competition are those anime that get lost in the mental marketplace, relegated to vague recollections when one scrolls through lists of titles on their favorite torrent sites or wallpaper galleries. Who truly remembers if their childhood friends were gargoyles or a badass tank AI?
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The competition is undoubtedly fierce, and rightfully so. However, the anticipation doesn’t end here, as the latter half of the year promises even more exciting titles. UFOTable’s latest project and more from Kyoto Animation in the form of Kanon are just a few of the highly anticipated releases on the horizon.
