As the leaves begin to turn and the air turns cooler, many people look forward to spending their time enjoying the beautiful fall weather outdoors. Well, to hell with that. I'm staying inside and watching cartoons. I've compiled this list from the [url=http://fansubwiki.com/Who_Subs_What:_FALL_2008]Fansub Wiki[/url], where you can also find air dates. Here we go: [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/pen-musu.jpg[/img] [url=http://pen-musu.jp/]Penguin Musume Heart 2nd Club[/url] - And it's crap right out of the starting gate! Well, what else is new. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/battle-spirits.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.nagoyatv.com/battlespirits/index.sms]Battle Spirits: Shounen Toppa Bashin[/url] - I think this is the [i]ur[/i] shounen kids show. I mean, they're holding cards that they'll presumably fight with. It doesn't get more shounen than that. For god's sake, the word "shounen" is even right there in the title. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/mach-girl.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/machgirl/]Mach Girl[/url] - Holy shit. It's Speed Racer reinvisioned as a ganguro cowgirl. Is it any good? [url=http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/machgirl/movie.html]Judge for yourself.[/url] [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/candy-boy.jpg[/img] [url=http://candyboy.jp/]Candy Boy Episode 3[/url] - Two words: Yuri incest. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/hakushaku.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.myfairy.tv/index.html]Hakushaku to Yousei[/url] - This may be shoujotastic to the hilt, but it sounds interesting. Set in Victorian England, our heroine is a "fairy doctor" (whatever that entails) who meets up with a count, at which point they set off on a quest for an enchanted sword. Might be pretty decent. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QMV4aBfIvU&feature=related]Here's the trailer[/url]. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/toradora.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/toradora/]Toradora![/url] - Can you say "tsundere"? Sure you can! He's a nice guy who happens to look like a thug. She's "the school's most dangerous animal of the highest risk level". (No doubt that's a horrible translation, but you get the idea.) Cue romantic comedy hijinx from a decent director. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/noramimi2.jpg[/img] [url=http://noramimi-anime.jp/index.htm]Noramimi 2[/url] - Awesome! More of the show about a corporate mascot that's guaranteed to never be subtitled! Given the chance I would totally watch this show, but I don't think I'm going to get the chance. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/rosario2.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.rosa-vam.com/]Rosario to Vampire CAPU2[/url] - More oh-so-moe supernatural hijinx starring the hapless dork in the upper right-hand corner there. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/hyakko.jpg[/img] [url=http://hyakko.jp/]Hyakko[/url] - Wacky slapstick hijinx about a group of four highschool freshmen girls. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiQSJuq03b8]The trailer doesn't tell you much, but here it is.[/url] [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/kuroshitsuji.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.kuroshitsuji.tv/]Kuro Shitsuji[/url] - Gothic comedy about the hyper-competent butler to a noble family and his twelve year old master. The [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHxKyLE0DNw]trailer[/url] plays up the twelve year old bit more than I'd like, but not so much that I won't check it out. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/yozakura-quartet.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tbs.co.jp/anime/yozakura/]Yozakura Quartet[/url] - Action comedy about a group of teenage superheroes and the city they protect, courtesy of the director of Red Garden. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/clannad.gif[/img] [url=http://www.tbs.co.jp/clannad/]Clannad: After Story[/url] - More dating sim crap. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/initial-d-extra-stage.jpg[/img] [url=http://obkikaku.com/initial/]Initial D Extra Stage 2: Tachikaba Green[/url] - My god, they're still churning out Initial D. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/tales-of-the-abyss.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tv-toa.jp/]Tales of the Abyss[/url] - PS2 RPG adaptation. Eh. The only really positive thing I can say about this is that it's opening theme is by a band called Bump of Chicken. Okay, so it's also directed by Kenji Kodoma, who directed assloads of City Hunter and Detective Conan, but he can probably only do so much with the source material. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/hnk-raoh.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.haoh.tv/]Hokuto no Ken Raou Gaiden: Ten no Haou[/url] - This is a Fist of the North Star side story about Kenshiro's enemy and awesome badass Raou. If you're into HnK and/or manly burly action, you'll love it. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/sunred.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.sunred.jp/]Tentai Senshi Sunred[/url] - Adaptation of sentai parody gag manga, brought to the small screen by a fairly unexciting team. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/linebarrel.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.linebarrels.jp/]Kurogane no Linebarrels[/url] - Gonzo does mecha in a story with the most bog standard shounen plot ever, except maybe that card fighting anime up above: average teenager is suddenly revealed to have the ability to power a giant robot, as well as awesome powers and a shot at the hot babe. This will no doubt be reinforced by the show being brought to you by the guy who directed Pokemon. Ah well, at least the scripts are partially done by someone who's worked on a lot of Gundam. Well, Gundam Seed and Turn A. I'm not really selling this, am I? [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/netsusou.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.ften.jp/]Netsusou! Kame 1 Grand Prix[/url] - If this isn't a kid's show, it's missing out on a wonderful opportunity. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/jigoku-shoujo2.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.jigokushoujo.com/]Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae[/url] - More of the horror show that looks amazing but suffers from the drawback of not actually being scary. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/kannagi.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.nagisama-fc.com/anime/index.html]Kannagi: Crazy Shrine Maidens[/url] - This is a supernatural shounen comedy with cute girls; this time our hapless dork hero is an art student who carves a statue that is inhabited by a goddess who proceeds to go fight for good and justice and moe and what have you. It's directed by the Lucky Star guy, for what that's worth. If it gets released in the US, I'm going to petition the licensor to translate it as "Kannagi: Shrine Maidens Gone Wild". [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDiEDh8F0Yg]Here's the trailer[/url]. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/kemeko.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.kemeko.jp/]Kemeko Deluxe![/url] - Okay, so this time our hapless hero recieves a creepy doll which opens up to reveal a hot girl who declares him to be her husband. Sounds like a cross between Hoi Hoi-san and Urusei Yatsura to me. As it's from the Genshiken director, and looks to provide a sufficient amount of zany parody hijinx, I'm intrigued. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmXKxJHR7tM]Here's the trailer[/url], which makes fun of Evangelion so it's certainly doing something right. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/kakeru.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.bun-bun.jp/rensai/kakeru.html]Live On Cardliver Kakeru[/url] - Oh, hey, it's more shounen card fighting. I only have one question. Cardliver? [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/gundam00-2.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.gundam00.net/]Gundam 00 Second Season[/url] - Oh, snap! [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/ga-rei-zero.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.ga-rei.jp/top.html]Ga-Rei Zero[/url] - He can see ghosts. She can summon a supernatural critter. They fight crime. Er, demons. Well, you get the idea. Oh, and did I mention that they're in high school? Yeah, high school. Who would have guessed? Still, looks nice, and the director worked on Blood+ and Coyote Ragtime Show, so it's probably worth checking out. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/macademi.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.macademi.tv/]Macademi Wasshoi[/url] - So, our hero attends the Magic Academy where he accidentally creates a hot girl with the ability to blow everyone up. Whoops. Time for wacky hijinx. This is based on manga by Ichiro Sakaki, the Scrapped Pricness guy, who's thought up a fair number of quirky projects such as Code-E, Straight Jacket, and Polyphonica. I have yet to see anything from him that really grabbed me, but at least he's putting some effort into it. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/class5-2tv.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/gononi/]Today in Class 5-2[/url] - A TV series spun off of the manga and OVAs, this slice of life school comedy was pretty funny until I realized they were all fifth graders, at which point it was just plain creepy. Also, is it just me or does her head look really weird? Yeesh. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/skip-beat.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/s-beat/]Skip Beat![/url] - Our jilted heroine followed her dream man to Tokyo where he became a famous singer, then threw her to the curb. Now she's determined to become even more famous in order to spite him, but the studio she's working with won't promote anyone who lacks the ability to fall in love. Fortunately, this seems to be a standard problem in the industry and they have a special division designed to rehabilitate those hapless souls who aren't quite up to snuff. Bizzare, but suitably shoujoesque, I suppose. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/vampire-knight-guilty.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.vampire-knight.jp/]Vampire Knight Guilty[/url] - Here's season two for all you fans out there. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/ef-melo.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.ef-melo.com/top.html]ef - a tale of melodies[/url] - And here's season two for all you porn game and lower case fans out there. [url=http://www.ef-melo.com/trailer.html]Look, there's a trailer and everything.[/url] [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/kurozuka.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.yumemakurabaku.com/]Kurozuka[/url] - In the 12th century, our hero flees into the mountains where he meets a mysterious woman who he falls in love with. However, it turns out she's immortal, at which point the action progresses through time to the modern day. Okay, so it's more than a bit Highlander, but I'm still intrigued, especially as the director worked on Black Lagoon and Death Note. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/stitch.jpg[/img] [url=http://haisaistitch.jp/]Stitch![/url] - As in "Lilo and", courtesy of The Mouse. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/tytania.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tytania.jp/]Tytania[/url] - Space opera about a rebellion against a galactic empire from the creator of Legend of Galactic Heroes? Yes, please. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKdFH_eciRM]Trailer[/url]. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/nodame-paris.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.nodame-anime.com/]Nodame Cantabille: Paris[/url] - Oh, thank god, they're continuing to animate the Nodame Cantabille manga. More classic music romantic comedy hijinx! Yes! [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/tetsudou-musume.jpg[/img] [url=http://tetsudou-musume.net/]Tetsudou Musume: Girls Be Ambitious[/url] - As far as I can tell, this is an animated series based on a line of figurines of cute girls wearing assorted railway line uniforms. I shit you not. I can't tell if this is awesome or soul destroying, but it's certainly going to be moe as all hell. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/junjou2.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.suzukisan.info/index2.html]Junjou Romantica 2[/url] - Season two of the zany shounen ai comedy. The picture sums it all up, really. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/negibozu.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/negibozu/]Negi-Bozou no Asatarou[/url] - Kid's show about...is that an onion? Huh. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/chaoshead.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.chaoshead.jp/]Chaos;HEAd[/url] - Based on a visual novel that apparently isn't a porn game. Don't worry, it makes up for a lack of smut with gore and violence. Our hero, such as he is, is a shut in who starts to witness horrible murders. I dunno where the girl with the sword comes in to the scene, but there she is. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvW-kOzEnks&feature=related]Here's a short trailer[/url]. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/inazuma.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/anime/inazuma/]Inazuma Eleven[/url] - You know the soccer RPG that just came out for the DS? Well, here's the cartoon. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/index.jpg[/img] [url=http://project-index.net/]To Aru Majutsu no Index[/url] - The description at ANN is incoherent, but it appears to be about your standard shounen hero and a college for learning to use your supernatural powers and a woman on the lam who dresses kinda like a nun. Yeah. On the bright side, the director worked on Azumanga Daioh and Tonde Burrin. [url=http://project-index.net/anime/pv.php]Here's the trailer[/url]. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/casshern-sins.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.casshern-sins.jp/]Casshern Sins[/url] - Everybody's favorite cyborg robot hunter is back for another revamp, just in time for Capcom vs. Tatsunoko. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/shikabane-hime.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.starchild.co.jp/special/shikabanehime/]Shikabane-hime Aka[/url] - AKA "Corpse Princess", Gainax is back with this manga adaptation wherein our titular heroine must hunt down 108 undead to get to heaven. I don't expect this to be one of Gainax's major series, but it looks pretty good, a lot of solid people are involved in the production, and our heroine is wearing a school uniform and holding a submachine gun. Awesome. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/akane-iro.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/akasaka/]Akane Iro ni Somaru Saka[/url] - Still more porn game anime. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/alive.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.murasakien.com/]Alive - Saishuu Shinka Teki Shounen[/url] - Based on the manga (available from Del Ray in the US), Alive follows a group of high school students who survive a virus that causes a large swath of humanity to commit suicide, only to find themselves changing into something different. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/bihada.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.lovelabo.co.jp/about/]Bihada Ichizoku[/url] - Now, this is a change of pace. Instead of being a half-hour toy commercial, this show is a half-hour cosmetics commercial. The plot involves the World Beautiful-Skin Competition and, um, yeah. Bizzare. [img]http://www.ibiblio.org/phil/fnordchan/fall2008/michiko-to-hatchin.jpg[/img] [url=http://www.michikotohatchin.com/]Michiko to Hatchin[/url] - Finally, I saved the best for last. This may be Sayo Yamamoto's directorial debut, but she's done storyboards on Samurai Champloo, Ergo Proxy, Eureka Seven, and other high profile shows. Various other awesome folks are involved, including Shinichiro Watanabe, who's providing the tunes. This should kick all manner of ass. You can find the latest trailer at the link above. And there you have it. My main picks are Yozakura Quartet, Kemeko Deluxe, Gundam 00 Season 2, Kurozuka, Tytania, Nodame Cantabile: Paris, Shikabane-hime Aka, Alive, and Michiko to Hatchin (natch). On the maybe list we have Hakushaku no Yousei, Toradora!, Kuro Shitsuji, Ga-Rei Zero, Macademi Wasshoi, and Casshern Sins. Not a bad lineup. Again, you can find the airdates at the [url=http://fansubwiki.com/Who_Subs_What:_FALL_2008]Fansub Wiki[/url]. FnordChan