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Anime Spotlight Winter 2013 - The List

by Justin Sevakis,

Featured Series (Click for more)

(Jump to additional shows)

AKB0048 next stage

HAGANAI NEXT

Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East

Hetalia The Beautiful World

Kotoura-san

Love Live: School idol project

MAOYU

Oreshura

Problem children are coming from another world, aren't they?

PUCHIM@S

Vividred Operation

Additional Shows

Title: Ai Mai Mi
Starts: Thursday, Jan 03 at 11:00PM JST on AT-X
Studio:Seven
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Cast: Ai Kayano (Chihayafuru's Kanade Oe), Yuka Otsubo (Yuruyuri's Kyoko Toshino), Maaya Uchida (Sankarea's Rea Sanka), Aya Uchida (Recorder and Randsell's Hina-chan)
Summary: Based on Choboraunyopomi's four-panel comedy manga, the series follows three girls in a manga club, who along with their teacher, are busy fighting evil extraterrestrial invaders and competing in various tournaments... when they're not drawing manga.

Title: Amnesia
Starts:Wednesday, January 09 at 12:30AM JST on Tokyo MX
Studio: Brain's Base
Genre: Romance
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Yoshimitsu Ohashi (Galaxy Angel Z, Sacred Seven)
  • Series Composition: Touko Machida (Lucky Star, The Idolm@ster)
Summary: This television series adapts Amnesia, a romance adventure game targeted at female players. In the game, the protagonist wakes up to discover that she has no memories of the past, but tries to recall her memories through the help of a spirit named Orion.

Title: Bakumatsu Gijinden Roman
Starts:Tuesday, Jan 08 at 2:05AM JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: TMS Entertainment
Genre: Fantasy, History
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Original character design: Monkey Punch (Lupin III)
  • Cast: Kazuya Nakai as Roman (One Piece's Roronoa Zoro, Mardock Scramble's Shell Septinos)
Summary: Main character Manjiro is a "helper" by day, but at night, he becomes Roman, a phantom thief "retriever" who steals back people's precious items that were unfairly taken from them.

Title: Beast Saga
Starts: Sunday, Jan 13 at 8:44AM JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: Synergy SP
Genre: Adventure, Action
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Katsumi Ono (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's)
  • Character design: Yoshihiro Nagamori (Bakugan Battle Brawlers)
Summary: This series takes place on a distant planet called Beast where three beast tribes fight each other to protect their honor, and an infinite elemental power source called Godlot.

Title: Boku no Imoto wa "Osaka Okan"
Starts:Saturday, Dec 22 at 1:55AM JST on BS-Asahi
Studio: Charaction
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Original character design: Sota Sugahara (gdgd Fairies)
  • Script: Kotaro Ishidate (gdgd Fairies)
Summary: This series adapts Chukei Shuppan's Osaka Okan Rule and Osaka Rule, comedic guides for dealing with people from Osaka, in particular Osakan mothers. Protagonist Kyosuke is looking forward to reuniting with his sister after ten years, but she's nothing like he remembers.

Title: Chihayafuru 2
Starts:Friday, Jan 11 on NTV
Studio: Madhouse
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning Director: Morio Asaka
  • Returning cast: Asami Seto as Chihaya Ayase, Ai Kayano as Kanade Oe, Mamoru Miyano as Taichi Mashima, Tooru Nara as Yusei Nishida, Tsubasa Yonaga as Tsutomu Komano, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Arata Wataya
Summary: Chihayafuru continues as main character Chihaya enters her second year of high school, and continues to chase her dream of being the number one karuta player in Japan.

Title: Courtesy of Zettai Karen Children - The Unlimited - Hyobu Kyosuke
Starts:Tuesday, Jan 08 at 1:35AM JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: Manglobe
Genre: Action, Science Fiction
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Soundtrack: Kotaro Nakagawa (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)
  • Series script: Shinchi Inotsume (Hayate the Combat Butler, Sket Dance)
Summary: A spinoff of Psychic Squad, the series follows an esper outlaw who was betrayed in the past by humans.

Title: Cuticle Detective Inaba
Starts:Friday, Jan 04 at 11:30PM JST on AT-X
Studio: ZEXCS
Genre: Comedy, Action
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Cast: Junichi Suwabe (X's Fuuma Monou), Toru Ohkawa (Fullmetal Alchemist's Roy Mustang)
  • Chief Animation Director: Satoshi Koike (Sgt Frog)
Summary: Hiroshi Inaba, a part-wolf-part-human, is a private detective who runs his own detective agency, along with his cross-dressing secretary Yuuta, and everyday teenager Kei.

Title: D.C. III ~Da Capo III~
Starts:Saturday, Jan 05 at 10:00PM JST on Tokyo MX
Studio: Kazami Gakuen Kōshiki
Genre: Drama, Romance
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Original character design: Natsuki Tanihara (Tantei Opera Milky Holmes)
  • Chief animation director: Kouhaku Nishio (ToHeart2, Moetan)
Summary: An adaptation of CIRCUS' D.C.III ~Da Capo III~ visual novel.

Title: Dokidoki! Precure
Starts:Sunday, Feb 03 at 8:30AM JST on TV Asahi
Studio: Toei Animation
Genre: Magical Girl
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • More information will be released in the upcoming issue of Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine
Summary: Dokidoki! Precure is the 10th series in the Precure franchise, and will have a motif that involves playing cards and Tarot.

Title: Ganbare! Lulu Lolo - Tiny Twin Bears
Starts:Monday, Jan 17 at 7:40AM JST on NHK-E
Studio: Fanworks
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Tetsuro Kodama (The Bears' School movie)
  • Script: Hiroyuki Aihara (The Bears' School movie)
Summary: Inspired by the picture book series The Bears' School, this anime follows the daily lives of two twin bear sisters, who both take on new jobs.

Title: gdgd Fairies season 2
Starts:Wednesday, Jan 09 at 12:30AM JST on Tokyo MX
Studio: Strawberry Meets Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning cast: Kaoru Mizuhara as shrshr, Satomi Akesaka as krkr, Suzuko Mimori as pkpk
  • Director: Sota Sugahara (character design for Boku no Imoto wa Osaka Okan)
Summary: The second season of gdgd Fairies follows three little fairies with weak magical powers who live inside the trees in Fairy Forest.

Title: GJ-bu
Starts:Thursday, Jan 10 at 1:29AM JST on NTV
Studio: Doga Kobo
Genre:
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Series composition: Hideaki Koyasu (Akikan!)
  • Character design: Miwa Oshima (Baka and Test)
Summary: This series adapts Shin Araki's GJ-bu light novel series.

Title: Hetalia the Beautiful World
Starts:Friday, Jan 05 at 12:30AM JST on Animate TV
Studio: Studio Deen
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Returning cast: Daisuke Namikawa (Italy), Hiroki Yasumoto (Germany), Hiroki Takahashi (Japan), Katsuyuki Konishi (America/Canada), Noriaki Sugiyama (United Kingdom), Masaya Onosaka (France), Yasuhiro Takato (Russia), and Yuki Kaida (China)
Summary: Hetalia the Beautiful World will be the fifth anime series inspired by Hidekaz Himaruya's Hetalia manga.

Title: Ishida to Asakura
Starts:Sunday, Jan 06 at 12:30AM JST on Tokyo MX/UHF
Studio: Hotline
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Pippuya (Kacho no Koi)
  • Script: Kenichi Yamashita (Ginga e Kickoff!!)
Summary: Ishida to Asakura focuses on the friendship of two high school boys, Asakura and Ishida, and is based on a Masao's surreal comedy manga.

Title: Mangirl!
Starts:Wednesday, Jan 02 on AT-X
Studio: Doga Kobo
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Nobuaki Nakanishi (Shin Koihime Muso)
  • Original character design: Yasu (Joshiraku, Toradora!)
Summary: This series adapts Kagari Tamaoka's Mangirl! manga.

Title: Minami-ke Tadaima
Starts:Sunday, Jan 06 at 1:00AM JST on Tokyo MX
Studio: feel.
Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi (Mayo Chiki!)
  • Script: Takamitsu Kouno (Abnormal Physiology)
Summary: This is the fourth season based on Coharu Sakuraba's Minami-ke manga, which follows the three Minami sisters.

Title: Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shurabara Sugiru
Starts:Saturday, Jan 05 at 12:00AM JST on Tokyo MX
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Cast: Chinatsu Akasaki as Chiwa, Yukari Tamura as Masuzu, Hisako Kanemoto as Himeka
  • Original character design: LLO (Mushi-Uta)
Summary: Eita's childhood friend Chiwa is like a little sister to him, but when a girl named Masuzu comes back from overseas and makes Eita her fake boyfriend, things get heated between the two girls.

Title: Sasami-san@Ganbaranai
Starts:Friday, Jan 11 at 1:25AM JST on TBS
Studio: SHAFT
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Akiyuki Simbo (Hidamari Sketch, Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
  • Script: Katsuhiko Takayama (Baka and Test)
Summary: This series centers around a hikikomori named Sasami, who was taken care of by her brother. Sasami spends her days keeping track of the outside world using her Brother Surveillance Tool, which catches glimpses of her brother's interactions with the three beautiful Yagami sisters.

Title: Senran Kagura
Starts:Sunday, Jan 06 at 8:30PM JST on AT-X
Studio: Artland
Genre: Action
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Takashi Watanabe (Shakugan no Shana)
  • Script: Takao Yoshioka (Sekirei, Elfen Lied)
Summary: This series is adapted from MarvelousAQL's Senrai Kagura side-scrolling action game based around female ninjas.

Title: Senyu.
Starts:Wednesday, Jan 09 at 1:35AM JST on TV Tokyo
Studio: Ordet, Liden Films
Genre:
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Cast: Hiro Shimono as Aruba, Yuichi Nakamura as Rosu
  • Director: Yutaka Yamamoto (Kannagi, Fractale)
Summary: This series follows the adventures of Aruba and Rosu, two descendents of an ancient hero who long ago sealed away the demon king Rukimedesu. Now they must fight the demons which have suddenly appeared from a mysterious hole.

Title: Tamako Market
Starts:Wednesday, Jan 09 on Tokyo MX
Studio: Kyoto Animation
Genre: Comedy
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Naoko Yamada (K-ON!
  • Script: Reiko Yoshida (K-ON!, Bakuman)
Summary: Tamako Market follows the cheerful Tamako Kitashirakawa, the mochi-loving daughter of a mochi shopkeeper in the shopping district.

Title: Yama no Susume
Starts:Thursday, Jan 02 at 1:30AM JST on Tokyo MX/UHF
Studio: 8bit
Genre:
Website:
Notable Cast/Staff:
  • Director: Yusuke Yamamoto (Sgt. Frog)
Summary: This series follows two childhood friends: Aoi, a girl who would rather stay indoors, and Hinata, a girl who loves mountains. They decide to climb a mountain in order to see the sunrise from its peak.


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