You're Under
Arrest: Full
Throttle

Number of Episodes: TBA
Production Studio: Studio DEEN
Fansub Release Viewed: Naked
Likelihood of US Release: Medium

   

This is the latest in a continuing series (containing anime series, manga, and a live action drama) about two female police officers, Natsumi and Miyuki, who work in a fictional Tokyo precinct. The series was created by the author who also created Oh! My Goddess.

Suteki Tantei
Labyrinth

Number of Episodes: Unknown
Production Studio: Studio DEEN
Fansub Release Viewed: OOM
Likelihood of US Release: Medium

   

A show about a young boy who solves mysteries in post-apocalyptic Tokyo.

Sketchbook
Full Color's

Number of Episodes: 13
Production Studio: Hal Film Maker
Fansub Release Viewed: SpoonSubs
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

This show is a slice of life show about a group of students, mostly female, who belong to an art club. It's based on a 4-panel comic. The main character is a shy girl named Sora who is both very observant and a friend to the stray cats in town.

Shion no Ou

Number of Episodes: 12
Production Studio: Studio DEEN
Fansub Release Viewed: Live-Evil
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

Shion no Ou is about a girl named Shion who witnessed the murder of her parents when she was very young. Her father left behind a Shogi (Japanese Chess) piece, which she considers her only clue to who may have murdered them. She begins to play Shogi herself to try and gain insight into the murders.

Shakugan no
Shana Second

Number of episodes: 24
Production Company: J.C. Staff
Fansub Release Viewed: SS-Eclipse
Likelihood of US Release: High

   

The first series was about a boy named Yuji Sakai who inadvertently got involved in a battle between the forces of balance and imbalance. Shana is a girl fighting for the forces of balance, a monster hunter, whom Yuji ends up befriending by accident as a result of his insusceptibility to the dark powers of a monster. As it turns out, the real Yuji died a while ago, and this Yuji is just a "torch" - a temporary replacement for an erased human being. He also contains a treasure inside him, which makes him special indeed. Their relationship grows, and Yuji has the ability to increase Shana's powers when he cares about her. Things continue in this vein.

Myself; Yourself

Number of Episodes: 13
Animation Studio: Dogakobo
Fansub Release Viewed: m.3.3.w.
Likelihood of US Release: Low

   

A yound man moves back to his old home town and meets up with some of his old female friends. All grown up, their interactions soon turn towards romance. Yet another high school romance show full of generic anime girls, with a generic anime protagonist. Not too much to discuss.

Minami-ke

Number of episodes: 13
Production Studio: Doumu
Fansub Release Viewed: Anonymous
Likelihood of US Release: Medium

   

Just a fun fact about this series: it's being animated twice. In 2008 a retelling will be animated by another studio. This seems pretty unusual to me, but it might be interesting to compare the two. In any case, the anime is about three sisters who live on their own. It's a slice of life comedy, meaning it looks at the humor found in every-day situations.

Kodomo
no Jikan

Number of Episodes: 12
Production Studio: Studio Barcelona
Fansub Release Viewed: Genjo
Likelihood of US Release: Low

   

A third-grade girl named Kokonoe Rin has a huge crush on her teacher at school and isn't afraid to demonstrate that love - in the most explicit manner possible. She has two friends as well - Kuro who has a crush on her, and Mimi who has large breasts (in third grade no less) and has a crush on Rin's older brother. There's no mistake that I'm going into this already hating it on principle, but I did say I would review it like anything else, and since it's new this season, it'll get its turn.

Goshuushou-sama
Ninomiya-kun

Number of episodes: 12
Production Studio: AIC Spirits
Fansub Release Viewed: m.3.3.w.
Likelihood of US Release: Low

   

Shungo, the main character, lives in a large house, and one day his sister sends two siblings to live with him. Mayu has a fear of men, so the solution seems to be to make her do everything with Shungo - this includes bathing together and sharing the same bed. In addition, the chairperson of their student council ends up becoming their maid.

Ghost Hound

Number of Episodes: 22
Production Company: Production I.G.
Fansub Release Viewed: Ureshii
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-High

   

This show is the highly-anticipated joint-creation from Shirow Masamune and Production I.G.. It is, in fact, Production I.G.'s 20th anniversary show. So needless to say, many people have been talking about this and there are high expectations. The story is about three boys who all had traumatic experiences in the past and who can now transfer their souls into the "unseen world" -- a world of ghostly creatures which is undergoing a change causing these ghosts to appear in the real world.

Genshiken 2

Number of Episodes: 12
Production Studio: ARMS
Fansub Release Viewed: DB
Licensed by Media Blasters

   

A continuation of the Genshiken anime, this season involves Genshiken participating in ComiFes, Sasahara dealing with becoming club president, and the new character Ogiue, who was introduced in the three-episode OVA, learning to fit in.

Ef - A Tale
of Memories

Number of Episodes: 12
Production Company: SHAFT
Fansub Release Viewed: Nuke
Likelihood of US Release: Low

   

Based on a Japanese adult game about a poor boy who draws shoujo manga.

Da Capo II

Number of episodes: 13
Animation Studio: Feel
Fansub Release Viewed: ASF
Likelihood of US release: Low

   

This show is a sequel, and I apologize for not being familiar with the original source material. Wikipedia describes the series as a comedic school romance adventure, and this incarnation takes place 53 years after the original on the same fictional Japanese island, "Hatsunejima." On this island, the sakura trees are always in full-bloom, and there's a magical tree which can grant wishes. The previous story focused on the conflict between some of these wishes and the people who made them.

The main characters are grandchildren of some of the characters from the previous game/anime, so anyone familiar with the previous incarnation would probably feel a deeper connection to the show. For everyone else, this ought to be enough introductory information to understand Da Capo II.

Shugo Chara!

Number of Episodes: 51
Production Studio: Satelight
Fansub Release Viewed: Formula
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

The story of a popular girl who is actually shy and afraid of living as her true self. She's given help by three little creatures inside eggs, who are there to help her become the person she truly wants to be. It has all the flavors of a magical girl show.

Kimikiss
Pure Rouge

Number of episodes: 24
Production Studio: J.C.Staff
Fansub Release Viewed: BSS
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

Based on a PS2 dating sim in which a high school boy spends his school year attempting to receive a kiss from one of six female classmates. The anime intends to focus more on the girls and their daily lives and is selling itself more as a romance show.

Kaiji

Number of Episodes: 26
Production Studio: Madhouse
Fansub Release Viewed: Triad
Likelihood of US Release: Low

   

The second anime adaptation of manga-ka Noboyuki Fukumoto's (best known for 2005's Akagi) manga, Kaiji brings back much of the same production staff as Akagi. In fact, the same voice actor who played Akagi plays Kaiji, the main character. How could I not love this? Whereas Akagi took place in the late 1950's and early 1960's, Kaiji is a modern-day story.

Gundam 00

Number of Episodes: 25 (more expected)
Animation Studio: Sunrise
Fansub Release Viewed: GundamSnet
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-High

   

This most recent incarnation of the Gundam series is set in the year 2307, when all of Earth's fossil fuels are exhausted. There are various world factions fighting each other for control of energy sources, and so an organization is formed, called Celestial Being, which is dedicated to ridding the world of war using 4 Gundams.

Bamboo Blade

Number of episodes: 26
Production Studio: AIC A.S.T.A
Fansub Release Viewed: Huzzah-Doremi
Likelihood of US Release: Medium

   

Bamboo Blade is about a high school Kendo teacher who makes a bet with his friend and fellow Kendo instructor at another school; if he can assemble a girls' kendo team that can defeat his friend's girls' kendo team, his friend will treat him to free sushi meals at his father's restaurant for a year. I can definitely see the appeal in this setup.

Rental Magica

Number of Episodes: 24
Production Studio: ZEXCS
Fansub Release Viewed: Shinsen-Subs
Likelihood of US Release: Medium

   

Based on a series of light novels, this adaptation is about a boy named Itsuki who takes over the family business - a magician dispatch service. In his employment are various magicians and other supernatural beings who help people in the need of some magical assistance. He has to juggle dealing with both his employees and dealing with people who would threaten the existence of his business.

Night Wizard

Number of Episodes: 13
Production Company: Hal Film Maker
Fansub Release Viewed: Ashes
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

The basis of this anime is a series of Japanese tabletop RPGs, which have since also spawned video game and manga adaptations. In the world of the game, any human power above normal, including weapon and athletic ability, is considered "magic". Anyone who uses magic is called a "wizard".

Mokke

Number of Episodes: 26
Production Studio: Madhouse
Fansub Release Viewed: SubsAnon
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

This is about two sisters who have supernatural abilities. Shizuru, a high school student, can see ghosts, and her younger sister, Mizuki, is haunted by them. So their parents do what any responsible guardians would do in this situation, and dump them off to live with their grandparents in the countryside. It's here that the girls learn to live in harmony with these ghostly beings.

Maple Story

Number of Episodes: 25
Production Studio: Madhouse
Fansub Release Viewed: Ashes & WIW
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

   

This anime is based on the Korean PC game of the same name. It's about a racial war which erupted after four other races thought that the World Tree was destroyed by the humans, when really it self-destructed to protect itself from some baddies called the Zakuns. Ten years later a boy named Al wants to revive this tree, so he gets a party together to get the job done.

Moyashimon

Number of Episodes: 11
Production Studio: Shirogumi Inc.
Fansub Release Viewed: BSS
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-Low

This show is subtitled a "story of agriculture" in which the main character, Tadayasu Sawaki, can see and communicate with microorganisms and bacteria. It's such a crazy concept, I just might like it.

Dragonaut -

The Resonance

Number of Episodes: 26
Animation Studio: Gonzo
Fansub Release Viewed: I-Z
Likelihood of US Release: Medium-High

A shuttle crash, a depressed student, and a weird pulsating egg. Oh, and did I mention a fight with a giant, man-eating dragon? Because there is one.