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ファイト／ステイナイト 
Update: Allison and Lillia, Macross Frontier, Amatsuki, Soul Eater, and Vampire Knight trailers are added as links (please reload the page).
Wow, I think it's been a while since I did this kind of list. I just haven't been interested in any of the offering in the past few seasons. And sometimes, the series look interesting in description but once I see the final product, it ends up being a complete disappointment. I do hope that things will be different this season. The list below consists of the ones that I think will be interesting, followed by others that do not interest me as much. Within each section, the series are ordered by air date. I've also provided a link to the fansub wiki for a more complete list (which includes kid's series, internet anime, etc). Some of the titles already have trailers attached to them so whenever possible, I link to the trailer on YouTube. You can also download some of the trailers from the link I provided below. Just be aware that some of the trailers from the YouTube are not available to download. Anyway, the important question is, what you'll watch this upcoming Spring? Do you think the lineup good enough? Is it better than previous seasons?
Spring 2008 Fansub Wiki
Spring 2008 Trailers (53MB, AVI/Flash) | Mirror (53MB, AVI/Flash)
| Allison and Lillia | |
 | Original Title: 「アリソン」 - Allison, 「リリアとトレイズ」 - Lillia and Treize |
Story: In a world where only one giant continent exists, there is a long and unproductive war between two federations. The story begins when an orphaned girl, Allison and an orphaned boy, Will, are going on an adventure to look for a treasure which supposedly can end the war. Allison and Will eventually have a daughter called Lillia, who partnered up with a boy called Treize.
Interest: Medium. This anime is actually based on two consecutive light novels from the creator of Kino's Journey. The novels are: Allison (4 volumes) and Lillia and Treize (6 volumes). As a result, the first half of the anime will cover Allison's story while the 2nd half will cover Lillia and Treize's adventure. I'm a bit amused by this because it feels like one of those tv movie kind of series where the son/daughter of the characters from the first book end up going on adventure in the second book. However, since Madhouse and Tezuka productions are in charge of the series, I can only assume that the story must be quite interesting. And check out those VA talent pool: Mizuki Nana!! Yamadera Kouichi!! Noto Mamiko!!. So I'll be on the lookout for this one.
| Macross Frontier | |
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Original Title: 「マクロス F」- Macross F |
Story: Music idol Sheryl Nome arrives at the Macross Frontier fleet for a concert performance. Meanwhile, a girl called Ranka Lee aspires to be like Sheryl. Ranka, however, is just an ordinary female high school student who works part-time at a Chinese restaurant. Ranka's only relative is her brother, Ozma, whom she's been apart with for a year. Ozma is actually an elite pilot who commands the Valkyrie unit in S.M.S. special military force but he hides the fact that he has such dangerous job from his sister. While in a rush to see Sheryl in the concert hall, Ranka meets Saotome Alto, a high school student who's taking a pilot training course. Meanwhile, "Frontier" encounters an extraterrestrial enemy which manages to destroy one military authority after another. Because of this, New U.N Space (N.U.N.S) deploys VF-25 to remedy the situation.
Interest: Medium. Personally, I'm not a big fan of space opera like Gundam, Macross, etc. But we'll see. As a side note, this series was created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the original Super Dimension Fortress Macross TV series. This is also a direct sequel to Macross 7. The first episode was already aired on December 23th last year.
| xxxHOLiC: Kei | |
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Original Title: 「×××HOLiC・継」 - xxxHOLiC: Kei |
Story: Okay, who doesn't know the story by now? Oh well, xxxHOLiC is a story about a witch called Yuuko and her unwilling 'assistant', Watanuki. As a witch, Yuuko occasionally gives help to someone who asks for one, provided that the person are willing to pay the price for it. xxxHOLiC often crossover with CLAMP's other series, Tsubasa Chronicle. As a side note, one normally doesn't pronounce the xxx in xxxHOLiC because the title is actually called HOLiC, as in "Alcoholic", "Internet-holic", or "Sex-a-holic". Don't look at me like that. Some people are addicted to that last item.
Interest: Low. After the drab and crappy-looking 1st season, I can't say I'm enthused about this one. Sure, the animation quality slightly improves if you watch the Widescreen version but that still doesn't fix the color and character design problem.
| Kure-nai | |
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Original Title: 「紅」 - Kure-nai |
Story: Kurenai Shinkurou is a 16 year old guy who works as a dispute mediator. One day, a young girl called Kuhouin Murasaki asks him to be her bodyguards. He later finds out that Murasaki is the daughter of a wealthy family.
Interest: Medium/Low. This sounds like Aishiteru, baby, which is not exactly the kind of series that I go for. On the other hand, the illustration for the light novel looks beautiful and that seems to be translated into the anime rather well. Having said that, I've never heard of Brain Base animation studio before so I have no idea what to expect from them in terms of quality.
| The Tower of Druaga: Aegis of Uruk | |
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Original Title: 「ドルアーガの塔」 - Doruaaga no tou |
Story: In summer, once every 5 years, the demons inside the Tower (of Druaga) lose their powers due to the power of God called "Anu". By using a demon-like disguise, the ruler of Uruk Kingdom, King Gilgamesh, infiltrates the tower to find out the secret behind it. 80 years later, Uruk army manage to keep the demon away from Metz Kier, a fortress city and safe heaven which they built on the first floor of Druaga. The story begins when a warrior called Gil and his companions leave on a quest to obtain a powerful item called Blue Crystal Rod, from the highest floor of Druaga. They quickly face competitions from others, including the Uruk Kingdom, who want to obtain the item for their own objective.
Interest: Medium. If the story sounds like a typical dungeon crawler, that's because the series is based on a game of the same name that was once released for NES and other classic consoles. The storyline sounds interesting but I wonder if it's enough to churn out 13 episodes. Animation-wise, I'm pretty impressed by the trailer but as usual, since this will be animated by GONZO, I have the right to be wary. I find it interesting, however, that the ED theme singer, KENN will voice the lead character, Gill. Plus, the character design looks awesome.
| Amatsuki | |
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Original Title: 「あまつき」 - Amatsuki |
Story: In order to improve his grade, a first-year high school student called Rikugou Tokidoki visits a next-generation museum. This museum is one of its kind because it uses leading-edge technology to create a theme park simulation of Bakumatsu (the end of Edo period). While exploring the theme park, he's attacked by an Ayakashi and a Nue, sending him to "Amatsuki", a world which looks similar to the end of Edo period but one where both humans and Ayakashi exist. In this world, he gets to meet a girl called Kuchiha and another student who got stranded in this world 2 years ago, Shinonome Kon.
Interest: Medium. Sounds like Fushigi Yuugi with male character as the lead. I'm kind of ambivalent about this because the manga illustration looks fantastic. However, the anime's character design looks plain. At the end of the day, it depends on how the story goes. If it's like Ayakashi Ayashi, then I'd rather sleep or rather, it'd probably make me sleep. If it's like Fushigi Yuugi then it could be fun. Just as long as the two lead characters don't start calling each other's name everytime the other goes missing ("Miaka!!", "Tamahome!!!").
| Itazura na Kiss | |
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Original Title: 「イタズラなKiss」 - Itazura na Kiss |
Story: When her newly constructed house collapsed, Aihara Kotoko and her father decide to live with her father's best friend. Much to Kotoko's delight, her father's best friend is the father of Irie Naoki, a boy that she has a crush on but one who rejected her love letter not too long ago. Now that she lives under one roof with him, however, she can shamelessly make an advance on the guy. Unfortunately, the guy doesn't seem to be interested in girls.
Interest: Medium/High. Sounds kind of amusing. It's like that other series that was aired a few years ago, except this time I don't have to cringe since it doesn't feature loli character. My only reservation is the anime character design which looks okay sometimes but looks bad in others. Interesting but sad trivia: the manga from which this series is based on was never completed because the artist died after a house accident.
| Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 | |
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Original Title: 「コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ」 |
Story: Lelouch is a megalomaniac boy who's been kicked out of his rightful throne by his own crazy father. Because of this, he swears that he'll bring down the Britannia monarchy. Suzaku, on the other hand, is a stuck-up, hypocritical ass who thinks his way is the right way. He's a sell-out too because even though he's Japanese, he works for Britannia to oppress his own people. Together, they have this shounen-ai vibe with each other but they pretend that they like girls anyway. As a result, there are these bevy of tramps who are vying for their affections (except for that one crazy lesbian girl). And oh, Lelouch is also the leader of this rebellion group called "The Black Knight" and he's always accompanied by this mysterious, God-knows-how-old, green-hair nymph called C.C. Thanks to this wicked witch, he has this power called Geass. No, it's not what you think. It's basically the ability to hypnotize someone to do your bidding.
C.C is hot for Lelouch too ........that is, of course, when she's not too busy stuffing her mouth with Pizza Hut. Last season ended with Suzaku's hanger-on/girlfriend, Princess Euphemia, died after she accidentally got hypnotized by Lelouch and going on Japanese killing spree. Lelouch felt sorry for her and gave her a pity kill. Suzaku eventually found out about this and became emo. Actually, most characters turned emo towards the end. You should see some of the facial expressions. It's precioussss. So the question is: will Lelouch and Suzaku start killing each other now or will they go yaoi instead?
Interest: Are you kidding me? It's worth sticking around just for the LOLs. Not everything has to be oscar-calibre, you know. And yes, to be honest, my actual idea of what the series would be was completely demolished halfway through the first season. It doesn't help that CLAMP's design for this series is a bit underwhelming, IMO. However, somehow I managed to find enjoyment from the series' hilariously trashy plots. It's like watching soap opera but with mecha/war background. So even though I am not sympathetic to the characters, it doesn't mean I can't have fun laughing at the intentional/unintentionally silly plots. Plus, the OP/ED theme usually are pretty good with famous groups providing excellent soundtrack. This year, the honour goes to ORANGE RANGE. The only way this second season can suck if it puts more focus on politic and less on trashy catfights.
| Nabari no Ou | |
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Original Title: 「隠の王」- Nabari no Ou |
Story: A boy called Rokujou Miharu is being hunted by ninja clans because he apparently possesses a hidden technique hidden within him.
Interest: Low/Medium. The premise sounds generic and typically shounen. However, it is being produced by J.C Staff and just by looking at the trailer, the quality shows. Plus, from the snippets of soundtrack in the trailer, there seems to be a genuine effort to not just dump a bunch of Japanese rap song and call it a soundtrack.
| S.A - Special A-Class | |
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Original Title: 「Ｓ・Ａ～スペシャル・エー」- S.A - Special A |
Story: Special A is the story of Hanazono Hikari, a girl who goes to an ultra-elite, rich, private school Hakusenkan Academy. In this school, the class are divided by using alphabet A to F. Only students with the best grades are placed in the top class (A). Within the A class itself, there are those from first year to third year, that are known as the Special A, the elites amongst the elites. Those who are respected by other students. The Special A's class is located in separate annex known as "The Paradise". Here, the students get to wear different uniform and have a choice whether to attend class or not. Hikari is a member of this group but she is not satisfied until she can reach her goal: to defeat her childhood friend, Kei, in academic achievements. When she was six, she was defeated by Kei in a wrestling match when they were six. Ever since then, Hikari always competes with Kei in academic achievement, not realising that Kei is actually in love with her.
Interest: High/Medium. This will really depend on the animation. I hope GONZO doesn't mess this one up because the premise sounds interesting. It's like Ouran High School Host Club but with competition between the two lead characters. I have to admit that this wasn't on my radar until I saw some screenshots and read the story description. I am personally intrigued by the level of classes that the students are placed. It must really suck to be someone who's in the lowest class but it must be awesome to be one of those elite students.
| Soul Eater | |
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Original Title: 「ソウルイーター」- Soul Eater |
Story: This is a story about the Shinigami Technical School. It focuses on 3 groups of weapon meisters and their humanoid 'weapon' (these 'weapons' can turn into human and transform back into weapon). The goal of each 'weapon' is to become the Death Scythe, the Scythe that is used by a real Shinigami. In order to do this, they must collect the souls of 99 evil humans and 1 witch.
Interest: Low/Medium. Well, what can I say apart "it sounds like every other Shounen shows out there". Admittedly, the idea of transforming weapon is kind of nifty. It'd be like those summon in FFXIII but I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to go through weekly doses of Shounen battles. On the plus side, the character design looks cool and BONES is animating it, so at least it'll look pretty.
| Vampire Knight | |
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Original Title: 「ヴァンパイア騎士」- Vampire Kishi |
Story: When she was a kid Yuki was attacked by a vampire. Ironically, she was also saved by a vampire called Clan Kaname. Fast forward 10 years later, Yuki has now been adopted by the headmaster of a school called Cross Academy. There are two types of classes in this school: day class, which is frequented by humans, and night class, which is frequented by vampires. Yuki herself has become a guardian for the school so she can protect the humans from the vampire's bite. She also ensures that the true identity of the Night class students is never discovered by daytime students. Clan Kaname, who saved Yuki 10 years ago, is now the leader of the night class. There is also Kiryuu Zero, Yuki's childhood friend who hates vampires because they destroyed everything he held dear. The question is, which side will Yuki be on?.
Interest: Low/Medium. I'm not really into vampire stories but since this is Shoujo, I figure there might be some interesting story in it. Unfortunately, the basic summary does sound like every other vampire stories out there.
| RD (Real Drive) Sennou Chousashitsu | |
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Original Title: 「ＲＤ 潜脳調査室」- RD Sennou Chousashitsu |
Story: In they year 2061 A.D, people are so reliant on the net even though there are many personal data leaks and falsified informations floating around. In order to overcome this, a new network called Meta Real aka. Metal was developed. Metal allows the storage of personal memory data and it is protected within virtual cyber enclaves called "Bubble Shelves". People eventually learn to release their thoughts in the safe environment of Metal especially since this is often impossible in real life. However, strange abberations begin to occur between the real world and the metal world. In order to solve this, a group of experts called "Cyber-divers" are sent into the world of Metal to investigate these abberations.
Interest: Medium/High. The character design intrigues me and so does the storyline to an extent. I'm just a bit wary because this is the kind of series which can be bogged down by so many terminologies. As for the animation, I hope it's the good Production I.G which handles this series as opposed to the one who handles xxxHOLiC.
| Crystal Blaze | |
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Original Title: 「クリスタル ブレイズ」- Crystal Blaze |
Story:In the near future corner of Asia, people live in a world where freedom and equality are managed and controlled. In Rags Town aka "The Trash City", there lived people of various races who have suffered setback in their life. This story, which plays out against the symbol of false glory, Rags Town, is a near-future detective story which emphasizes gun action and sexy atmosphere. Within Rags Town, there is a Jack-of-all-trades group known as "S&A Detective Agency". Its members include Shuu, a formerly hot-blooded detective who made a stand against political power even though it forced him out of society. There's also Akira, a complicated and good-looking young man who is also a detective in training. Last but not least, there are two high school girls (of course!) Manami and Ayaka. As a detecive, Shuu lives an unfulfilled life on a day to day basis until he meets the amnesiac Sara (I'll bet she's the femme fatale). He begins to investigate an incident which shatters Rags Town along with friends who accept his past.
Interest: Medium. After watching the trailer, it doesn't seem to look as good as I imagined it would be. I guess I'm kind of hoping that it'd be more of Cowboy Bebop in terms of atmosphere. Also, apart from Shuu and Sara, the character design is not really suitable for this kind of film noir story. They're a bit too cutesy, IMO. But if the storyline is interesting then this could be awesome. Plus the VAs line-up are pretty impressive (Shinichirou Miki, Ueda Yuuji, Takahashi Mikako). As a side note, this title was once called "Glass Maiden". I don't know why they changed it into a more generic-sounding title since "Glass Maiden" sounds better.
| Kaiba | |
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Original Title: 「カイバ」- Kaiba |
Story: A world where memory can be managed. A world where memory can be bought or sold. A world where one's body can be replaced. A world where if one possesses money, one will never die. This is a world where digitization of memory is possible and therefore, corporeal death is not really the end. Because memories are saved at a data bank, getting a new body becomes possible. This, however, also means that memory can be altered and memory theft is also possible. Society quickly turns chaotic while authority figure are at lost and starts to stagnate. A man wakes up inside a trashed room with no recollection of his past except for his name: Kaiba. He also owns a pendant containing a picture of a woman that he does not recognize.
Interest: Medium. The premise of the story reminds me of Dark City. If you haven't seen the film, I really recommend it. In that film, a man wakes up inside a bathroom not having recollection of his past. In the next room, there is the body of a dead girl. Is he a killer or has he been set up? Is human merely the sum of their memory? I find the film to be fascinating and I even like the sci-fi explanation that the film gave. Anyway, Kaiba sounds intriguing. The only thing that holds me back from being excited is the character design. Don't get me wrong, I think the character design is awesome and unique. I'm just not sure if it will work well within the confine of the story, which I think requires more realistic-looking characters.
| Toshokan Sensou | |
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Original Title: 「図書館戦争」- Toshokan Sensou |
Story:The year is 2019. 30 years have passed since enactment of the "Media Improvement Law" which controls method of communications that disturb public order/rules and infringes on human rights. This is the beginning of a dispute between Media Improvement Committee and the Library Corps who try to prevent censorship in Japan. Kasahara Iku is recruited as voluntary Librarian but her intention is to become a Defense Member, a role which is considered dangerous within the Library Corps. Because of this, she makes sure that her parents doesn't know about this dream and secretly undergoes strict training. Apparently when she was in high school, a book was taken from her by the Media Improvement Committee. It was then that she was saved by a Library Corps member. Ever since then, she wants to be an 'ally of the righteous and fantasizes about the Librarian as a Prince, even though she can't remember his face. Eventually, Iku makes it as the Elite member of the Library Special Corps.
Interest: Medium. The character design looks awesome but as I've learned with Pumpkin Scissors, I'm not much for a war type stories. I think it'd depend on what kind of stories the show will tell. If it's too political then I'll probably lose interest fast.
| Kyouran Kazoku Nikki | |
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Original Title: 「狂乱家族日記」- Kyouran Kazoku Nikki |
Story: One thousand years ago, a monster called Enka brought destruction to the world. Before the monster was destroyed, it swears that one thousand years later its child would be born and bring despair to the world. One thousand years later, by using DNA testing, researchers manage to identify several people who could be Enka's children. In order to determine which one of them is the child of Enka, the researchers decide to turn them into a family with the head of the researchers acting as the father. The members of this eccentric family includes a 20 year old girl who wears cat's ears and tail and thinks that she's a God, a boy who suffers from sexual identity disorder, a lion who can speak and understand human language, a 3 years old land-battle-type biological weapon, and a Jellyfish girl who only eat high-class cuisine.
Interest: Medium. It sounds amusing and the character design looks pretty good. I do wonder if this is just going to be one of those comedy series which goes nowhere. Still, with Nomad animating this, it's probably worth a look.
| 20 Mensou no Musume | |
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Original Title: 「二十面相の娘」- Nijuu Mensou no Musume |
Story: Chiko is the daughter of the wealthy Mikamo family who has to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents passed away. Because her aunt wants to inherit the Mikamo family's wealth, she gives Chiko poisoned food. One day, however, she's kidnapped by the Nijuu Mensou (20 Faces) and decides to join his clan.
Interest: Medium. It sounds interesting and I'm surprised with the high-profile VAs who are involved in this adaptation (Hirano Aya, Matsukaze Masaya). The character design is a bit 'antique' but it could be interesting if done corectly.
Other series for your consideration:
Junjou Romantica (10th of April)
For those who love Shounen-ai, rest assured that this season has few offerings for you as well. Of course, there's always good old Code Geass. FYI, some viewers don't watch it because they want to see Karen's buxom twins. But if Code Geass is too tame, there's always Junjou Romantica which gets straight to the point when it comes to delivering boys on boys romance. Everyone else, feel free to scream or flee like a little girl. [Teaser Trailer]
Kyou Kara Mao 3rd Season (2nd of April)
Mark your calendar, Wednesday is looking like it'll be a good day for Shounen-ai lovers. If Junjou Romantica is too pedestrian for you and Code Geass got too many giant robots for your liking, there's always a trip to the mysterious demon world in Kyou Kara Mao. I didn't even know that there was 2nd season for this.
To Love Ru (3rd of April)
If Shounen-ai is not really your cup of tea, and you're more of a "LOL, Onii-chan, I dropped my towel. Look at how big my breasts are. Oh no, don't touch!! Onii-chan no Eccchiii!!" kind of viewers, then this show is a perfect fit for you. The story is about a guy who comes home only to find a nude girl in his bathtub. She predictably comes from another planet and has now decided that the male lead will be her husband. [Full Trailer]
Kirarin Revolution Season 3 (4th of April)
Again, I didn't even know there was a 2nd season for this. Only moe-moe lovers need to apply for this. The story is about a girl who wants to become an idol.....so she can be with a boy that she likes. Feminist will have a field day with this.
Blue Dragon: Shichi no Ryuu (5th of April)
Only for fans of the game. Personally, I dislike Toriyama Akira's character design. And that includes the very famous DragonBall.
Kanokon (5th of April)
More nympho high-school girls and the loser boy that they want to sex up. All you have to do to know the plot is to visit the homepage (wait a few seconds for the graphic changes to happen on-screen). So yeah, if you love furries, nympho, and occasional 2D boob jiggles, this is the one for you. [Teaser Trailer]
D.C II: Second Season (5th of April)
Just when you think sim dating shows are over, there's Da Capo to fix that misconception. It's not really my kind of show although I do make an exception for Key's series. However, I've heard praises for this series from other people so it might be worth a look.
Kamen no Maid Guy (5th of April)
Yeah, it's about a guy who dressed up in Maid costume. But wait, this is actually sounds more interesting than those "Onii-chan, I'm so horny" shows. Apparently the male maid is one of the two maids whose job is to protect two tycoon successors from people who might harm them.
Blassreiter (5th of April)
A fugly-looking 2D mixed with 3D attempt from Gonzo.
Wagaya no Oinari-sama (6th of April)
More furries for furries lovers. It's about a thousand-year old Youkai who's been sealed by the Mitsuji family because it was being naughty. In the present day, due to an incident the family has no choice but to free it. Since it can't remember what gender it used to be, it now has two forms. Oooh, futanari furries. As a side note, the series won the Gold Prize in the tenth Dengeki Novel Prize contest (2003) so it must be pretty good. [Full Trailer]
Neo Angelique Abyss (6th of April)
An anime based on PS2 game of the same name. I'm kind of intrigued by the series' soundtrack but have never been able to gather enough interest to watch an episode. [PS2 Trailer]
Monochrome Factor (7th of April)
By looking at the character design, this one looks like a Shounen-ai series but I'm not sure. It's about a boy who's been transformed into a creature of the shadow world so he can help restoring balance between the human and the shadow world.
Himitsu: Top Secret (8th of April)
The premise is actually similar to Kaiba. The setting is a world where the government can take up to 5 years worth of memory from people's minds. The downside is that the character design, while looking realistic, is not as pleasant to look at.
Golgo 13 (11th of April)
This is the TV series version of the story. Golgo 13 is a professional assassin similar to James Bond. Except one with colder attitude to sex and with lesser moral value.
Hmm, nothing particularly exciting although I agree it's better than the previous seasons. Maybe I'll check out:
Code Geass
Nabari no Ou
Kamen no Maid Guy
Golgo 13
I do wish that they'll just show Haruhi 2nd season already.
1. Junjou Romantica
2. Kyou Kara Mao
3. Code Geass
4. S-A Special A
5. Amatsuki
6. Monochrome Factor
Vampire Knight also sounds fun.
Erm, you wrote the premier dates as February for all of the anime at the end of the list ... you mean April, right?
The only show I am excited about is Special A, since I liked the manga. Nabari no Ou and 20 Mensou no Musume got me curious but most of the other stuff seems pretty unexciting ... except for Code Geass, but that's exciting for all the wrong reasons.
This is the best site ever, Thanks for everything your doing. Keep up the great work. ^_^
Erm, you wrote the premier dates as February for all of the anime at the end of the list ... you mean April, right?
Yeah, I just forgot to change the month for the 'other' list. The dates for the main list are all correct.
Kyouran Kazoku Nikki looks good. I also think Macross Frontier will be awesome judging from the trailer. Not interested in Code Geass though. The first season was pretty awful imo.
I'm actually very excited about this season. The previous 2-3 seasons have been a big disappointment for me. :( (The only things I've watched since Code Geass and Ouran ended are Clannad, Neuro, and Spice and Wolf...and even then I get distracted... =_=)
Planned shows:
1) Code Geass R2 - That's a given, I loved the 1st season (it had it's funny "lol" moments as you say. xD But I think you're the only person I know of who watches it and thinks it's so bad it's hysterical!)
2) Nabari no Ou
3) Special A - x_x Ugh. I've read the manga and have come to HATE the characters. The "S.A" members (excluding Hikari) are SOOO spoiled, it puts the Ouran gang to shame. But I might as well watch it to see how it goes. e_e
4) Vampire Knight - This just oozes bishounen and shoujo-y goodness..which is reason enough for me to watch. xD Plus I LOVE the manga~
I might watch Junjou Romantica, Itazura na Kiss, Macross Frontier, and Allison and Lillia if it turns out to be good. =/ Otherwise, that's it. xD But it's enough for me~ I hope you find interesting animes this season Garten!
What is this? A season with little sim dating and lolicon shows? It must be a good sign to start watching again. Anyway, I have a lot of pick now, which weirds me out a little bit since last (this) season I only watch "Clannad".
1. Allison and Lillia - could it be the next "Last Exile"? I hope so.
2. Macross Frontier - I am probably one of the few who used to watch Macross.
3. Itazura na Kiss - looks fun.
4. Real Drive - seems a bit cerebral but I also love the character design.
S.A Special A - I want to see this but then I saw GONZO. Ugh, no thanks.
Toshokan Sensou is a lot more fun that it seems/sounds, it's a great mix of action, comedy, romance, and some political stuff on the side. I think FMP fans will be able to enjoy it :3
I'm currently on a crusade promoting Toshokan Sensou, my most anticipated anime of the coming Spring XD
Special A and Itazura na Kiss are promising shows, two lighthearted fun shoujo offerings of the season.
I might just get into VK, if I'm up for the vampiric angst, or the eyecandies +__+
Also looking forward to Kurenai, because I love the Aishiteruze Baby vibes I'm sensing from it. Also Monochrome Factor, because of the fantasy supernatural premise and the bishies lol.
20 Mensou no Musume and Himitsu Top Secret look really interesting, but I'm not too keen with the character designs x__x;;;
That said, I might just be one of the few percentage of people looking forward to Neo Angelique, because of my bias for the game and its characters :P
oh, and the name of the heroine in Toshokan Sensou is "Iku Kasahara" :)
1. Soul Eater: The Manga is very good and could become Bones next's FMA, if they do it well. The fact that Director worked Ouran High School Hot Club and along with a solid Production Staff is a big Plus.
2. Code Geass: Well since I watched the first season and liked overall, why not?
3. Allison and Lillia: Loved Kino's Journey, so there is no way I'm missing this.
4. Nabari no Ou: As long as it's nothing like Naruto, I'II check it out.
5. Amatsuki: The Manga is preety solid and Deen has an "ok" track record.
hm im kinda looking forward to Vampire Knight, since i read the manga and its pretty cool that the author of this manga finally got one of her works animated.
next would be S.A, the story sounds interesting and ive heard of the manga before but never took the time to start reading it.
macross frontier is one i definitly need to check out.
one thats on my list to never see is To Love Ru! I HATE it with a passion and i had feeling they were going to animate it soon...an here it is -_-
also im surprised they dont have a Gentlemen Alliance Cross anime coming in. Or maybe i spoke to soon...
BTW, "Shinigami" stuff in Soul Eater is more a background concept that's abandoned pretty early in the series.
"1. Soul Eater: The Manga is very good and could become Bones next's FMA, if they do it well. The fact that Director worked Ouran High School Hot Club and along with a solid Production Staff is a big Plus."
If that's true, that'll be great. I thought it'll be more like D.Gray-man, which isn't that great, IMO.
For now though, my choices are: Code Geass, the Tower of Druaga, Amatasuki, Crystal Blaze, Kaiba, and Toshokan Sensou.
Wai! I'm looking forward to Vampire Knight, Code Geass, and Kyou Kara Maou the most, but a lot of those other titles look interesting.
You didn't know KKM had a 2nd season? LOL Then you will be surprised to know it has an OVA as well. I was pretty shocked that they are continuing it after all the times they said they weren't.
Vampire Knight is a really awesome story, it's starts off a little too normal but then takes a turn that makes it different from a typical shoujo. I'm hooked on the manga right now. I just hope the anime can keep it as close to the manga as it can possibly get. The cast for the series looks promising though.
Yay for Code Geass! I just wonder about the brother... hum. It seems he has taken Rivalz place, haha.
Vampire Knight, Code Geass R2, Nabari No Ou,
The Tower of Druaga, and SA are so far on my list. Everything else...maybe. I hope I won't be dropping too many shows like I did in the winter.
Hmm, the only manga I'm familiar with is Soul Eater, even so, this one is boring for me (Me, being a major fan of shounen stuff like Bleach, Naruto etc.). Boring as in battle, after battle, after battle *YAWN*.
What I'd like to see is Muhyo & Rouji being animated. That would be cool. The storyline is very interesting and original.
Garten: I didn't see this your post but,
http://www.animenation.net/news/index.php?id=12121
So, it's basically like boardcasting the DVD version.
Quagmire: Yep, isn't anything like D.Grayman or, Bleach for that matter. Soul Eater's setting, charcters, and world are rather outerworldy and surreal.
Sara Pandora: How far have you read? The first Vol is rather slow to start since it was mostly 3 "one-shots" before a full series and serve more as Character intros than anything. The Manga doesn't take-off until the 2nd Vol, alot like Claymore.
I personally prefer most of the fights in the Manga to that stuff like Bleach and Naruto because have more variety and more importantly shorter.
Bones will probably make "one-shots" lively, with music, animation etc.
Crap, wrong link, this one has more info;
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com.au/news/2008-02-12/soul-eater-to-air-in-japan-in-two-weekly-versions
Sorry about that.
To be honest, as long as it isn't
a) repetitive /generic
b) harem
c) a low budget animation
d) extremely yuri/yaoi
I'm pretty much guaranteed to watch it.
This season looks pretty interesting,was looking forward to xxxHolic, Itazura na Kiss, S.A. Special A, Vampire Knight, and Kyou Kara Maou (I think they are just all too cute, plus it's not that shonen-ai. Much.) Five, as opposed to the season before this, of which I had zero interest in anything.
After seeing your list, though, I might give Amatsuki and 20 Mensou no Musume a try.
I might try Angelique, too, but honestly the storyline is rather boring. It's like the storyline takes a back step, and the main thing is having a girl, who looks nerdy /acts nerdy in the beginning, fall into the laps of too many bishie guys who are head over heels in love with her, or something.
I may love reverse harem, seeing as that I am
a) female, and
b) my life resembles a harem anime except without the boobs flashing.
but you know, I want something like Saiunkoku Monogatari or Ouran, instead of generic blah like what most harem anime are.
Thanks for putting this list out, by the way, Garten. So much better than seeing a list without description of what the anime is about.
Am done putting in my two cents, too. =p
As far as I go, this is my list:
1. Code Geass (for the trainwreck factor)
2. Vampire Knight (love the manga, though it's pure shojo)
3. Wagaya no Oinari-sama
4. Toshokan Sensou (is it just me or does that character look like Haruhi Fujioka? Though even reading the summary of that made me yawn, so I'm skeptical)
5. xxxHolic (manga is much better, and I'm not sure I can stand them cutting out the Tsubasa stuff again)
As usual, I'll try out almost everything except the few shounen-ai titles. I am just glad that there are more interesting options this upcoming season.
To tell the truth, this season the only series that I find intriguing is Wagaya no Oinari-sama. For what I heard about the novels, it sounds like it will have lots of likeable characters and an actual story.
Hmm, so many choices this time around:
1. Macross Frontier.
2. Nabari no Ou.
3. Soul Eater
4. 20 Mensou no Musume
I just hope that the animation look better than the ones that came out this season.
I can't believe they're making an Itazura na Kiss anime. That and Nodame Cantabile are my 2 favorite shojo stories.
Wow, I can't remember the last time I commented.
That image for RD Sennou Chousashitsu looks amazing. I hope the animation is at least similar to that quality.
As for some of the other series, they seem pretty interesting and I'll be sure to give plenty of them a try. Thanks for posting the spring releases, it's greatly appreciated Garten.
Hey, It's me again. I read the manga for "To Love Ru" It's very funny. I'm very shoked that Vampire Knight is going to be an anime, I read the comic It's pretty awsome. I can't wait for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 It's going to be cool. ^_^
( Thanks for putting Soul Eater on this site. )
Hey, It's me again. I read the manga for "To Love Ru" It's very funny. I'm very shoked that Vampire Knight is going to be an anime, I read the comic It's pretty awsome. I can't wait for Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2 It's going to be cool. ^_^
( Thanks for putting Soul Eater on this site. )
Kaiba is definitely the show to look forward to this spring. If you haven't seen any other works by the director go watch MindGame. Yeah the art style takes some getting used to, but the humor/writing was top notch.
Macross F sold me on the first episode, if the series can maintain that level of quality I'll continue to follow it. But I'm also a huge mecha fan.
Soul Eater does sound generic, but I for one have faith in Bones to make it entertaining with nice animation and a good soundtrack.
And of course Code Geass season 2. It'll be a nice show to turn off your brain and let the melodrama ooze.
Kurenai
Soul Eater
RD
Toshokan Snsou
Kyouran Kazoku Nkki
Kamen no Maid Guy
Are the top priorities for me.
For Kyouran Kazoku Nikki, at least according to the first two volumes I read, while it does have overall story arcs for each volume, I'd say they are rather episodic. I'm guessing anime will follow the same. Both Kyouran~ and Kamen~ are pretty good in terms of comedy though no serious story is involved.
Code Geass R2- Since I saw the series this last Christmas I was pretty much hooked and its probably my favoritism of the series but aside from some reused animation and the Mao arc I hardly see whats worth complaining about it, unless you simply don't like Mechas then I can understand the complaints.
Vampire Knight-I can't say I am into the supernatural/horror thing and the only vampire shows I have watched being Karin (simply because of the cheesy comedy/romance) and Trinity Blood (On the account they are not actual vampires but humans with their DNA altered) its suffice to say I dont have alot of experience in them either, however because of that this may be something new for me so why not give it a shot.
All the other anime's seem like things I have already seen or genre's I have tried to steer away from except RD which seems sci-fi enough for me to like.
Amatsuki: the manga is awesome but one wonders if the anime can recreate this...
Code Geass R2: how can anyone not watch this lol.
Vampire Knight: I didn't like Vampire Knight manga but i will give this a try.
Itazura na Kiss: i like relationship stories that last over years XD
The lineup looks good. I am anticipating Macross F the most out of the list. The teaser episode they aired got me excited.
I just want to point out that the Macross F ED theme will be sung by a singer named May'n and not Nakajima Megumi.
KKM: ... that site is for the Kyou Kara Maou! R OVA, the third of which is coming out on the thurd. No new season~
Vampire Knight: the director from angel sactuary and miyuki-chan in wonderland with the series composition from kodomo no jikan and magical girl sasami? ... I don't have very high hopes for it.
Amatsuki: very good producers. I have high hopes for this one.
xxxHOLiC and Code Geass - I'm so excited about these~
Nabari no Ou and Monochrome: I like the character designs, so I'll try them
thanks for the summary. I always love your blogging.
Oh, and you forgot Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D: http://www.konami.jp/th/yugioh_5ds/ XD
DEFINITELY CHECKING OUT JUNJOU ROMANTICA. I hadn't heard of that show at all anywhere, and I doubt many people will be blogging it, so without this post I might have never found out about its existence. THANK YOU.
Other than that, I've been waiting on Kanokon (the novels are supposed to be really good) and I think I'll give Itazura no Kiss a go. I'm also interested in Kyouran Kazoku Nikki and Toshokan Sensou, though I'm afraid the former may be too cutesy and the latter to political for my tastes. I *might* check out Vampire Knight, too... this season looks good. I think I may actually watch a lot of these shows.
Really hope you do Amatsuki. I love the manga - it has STUNNING art - but unfortunately there's practically no fandom for it and I don't think it's popular enough for a fansub group to pick it up.
Loved your humour in this post. The Code Geass summary had me in stitches.
The anime series I'm going to look out for is Allision and Lillia, and Tower of Druaga. Now not watching as much as I did before.
It seems that Jigoku Shoujo's 3rd season has been named, Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae. Garten, will you be blogging this series? The plot premise seems kind of stale from those revenge plots but I wonder if Ai Enma will reappear on the good guys this time for a change. She will be in 3rd season but will be so boring if she comes back as Hell Girl. -_-"
Loved your humour in this post. The Code Geass summary had me in stitches.
Glad to know it entertained someone at least. :)
It seems that Jigoku Shoujo's 3rd season has been named, Jigoku Shoujo Mitsuganae. Garten, will you be blogging this series?
That's not out this season, is it? That Wiki list doesn't mention any Jigoku Shoujo and I'm too lazy to look for Moonphase. Whether I'll do it or not depends on the story.
"So the question is: will Lelouch and Suzaku start killing each other now or will they go yaoi instead?"
JAJAJAJAJA !!! I loved this comment about Code Geass (and all the other ones) !!! LOL
I'll be looking forward to reading your comments. :)
Code Geass - So I'm not the only one who thinks the plot is a bit...lacking. Well if its worth it just for the lulz I think I can stand it.
HOLiC - I prefer the manga myself. The anime looks more like fanservice to me, why else have an episode with Watanuki in Wonderland? I still watch it for the gratituous fanservice since I'm a DouxWata shipper.
Kyou Kara Maou - I never knew there was a 2nd season either till I found out all 70-something episodes were actually divided in half. I don't what to expect of this anime but I just watch it cuz I can.
S.A - Special A-Class - I need more het in my life instead of guys doing...you know.
Vampire Knight - I need more het but not that desperate. In my opinion the heroine is kinda needy. I know the mangaka for this and while the plot is good at points the heroine feels like one of those from your typical romance novel.
~.~ I'm all for Vampire Knight. The last two chapter twist was so shocking ~.~ I felt like dropping it. Still, I'll be stcking to it until I get bored :/ Quite a nice plot xD
^.~ To those who've yet to know Vampire Knight, have fun getting addicted with the manga if you're tempted. It's the plot that makes it so interesting.
Soul Eater starts being extremely funny, IMO, it is suddenly getting a bit serious but Death The Kidd surely deserves being watch a big.
Vampire Knight is great, but if you can't handle overly-mysterious series then dunno. Too many secrets.
oh!!!
this should be interesting since i've read most of them.
i hope most of them turn out well!!
The shows I definitely will be checking are:
1) Nijou Mensou no Musume
The concept sounds interesting
2) Allison to Lillia
I love stories taking place in a European setting with a background of war and politics. The animation studio is Madhouse so I should expect some quality animation and quality adaptation. The author of the novels is the same guy who wrote Kino no Tabi and since I'm a big fan of that show, I'm expecting his new work to be just as good.
3) Kure-nai
Probably the only show this coming season that I fell in love with just from watching the trailer. If the quality of the animation throughout the show will remain the same as that in the trailer then this should be a joy to watch from a visual point of view. I find the character designs much more attractive in the anime than the ones in the manga and it seems they opted to give the characters a more mature look. The story is also my cup of tea. You said that the story reminds you of Aishiteruze Baby and I suppose that view is justified at first glance but you have to remember that the main characters in Kure-nai are very different compared with their shoujo counterparts. While Kippie and Yuzuyu in Aishiteruze Baby were just an ordinary boy and girl, Kurenai (the boy) and Murasaki (the girl) are definitely not normal in the sense that they lead very unordinary lives. If you combine these two together along with the other characters in the story then I have a feeling you will get a very interesting story.
4) Itazura na Kiss
The story seems interesting enough and I can do with some shoujo comedy this season.
5) Real Drive
The story and the trailer got me interested. The character designs are great and Production I.G. are handling the animation. What more can you ask for?!
6) Crystal Blaze
I just want to watch this because I'm curios about it. It might turn out to be really good or really bad.
7) Toshokan Sensou
Everything about this show intrigues me. The story is just my cup of tea. The character designs are excellent and Production I.G. is handling the animation. Since I also love libraries; I can't help but be biased towards this show.
8) Golgo 13
I've heard a lot about Golgo 13 so I just want to see how good it really is and whether it deserves all the hype it got and all the manga volumes published so far.
It usually takes me 6 episodes to decide whether a show is worth watching or not so I have no doubt this list will be slimmed down after the first 6 weeks of the new season.
Yeah, this season gotta be not so bad at all.
1. Junjou Romantica (I'm really waiting for it!)
2. Kyou Kara Maou
3. xxxHOLiC
4. Code Geass
(CLAMP as always...)
Maybe some show could catch my attention later.
Where is Haruhi 2nd season? I've been waiting for it for ages. :(
Oh well, Allyson + Lillia, Kamen no Maid Guy, Nabari no Ou, and Soul Eater look kind of good. Not sure about the rest although I'm kind of tempted to watch Toshokan Sensou as boring as it sounds.
OMG!!!!!! NONONONONO >.< GARTEN don't underestimate Vampire Knight. it's an AMAZING SERIES!!!!! WHEN I saw that it was going to be made into an anime, my head almost exploded. I love this manga, it's amazing!!! AT the beginning it seems like...blah but really it's such a good manga, you should really give it a shot!
there's quite a few that sound interesting. Mainly I want my shounen-ai in Junjou romantica and also I've always loved the manga and live action so
Itazura na Kiss : ) It's sad about the mangaka though...I never knew that :(
Not at all fussed about vampire knight anime, as I only read the manga for the pretty art and the anime doesn't look so good in that area. It really doesn't present vampires in a way I like.
Also not sure about special A as I read the manga but it was kinda boring, not at all what one would expect from the summary and the characters were annoying.
then again, it all comes down to how much time I have to watch any :D
The spring season looks very promising. Now to clear my backlogs and prepare for next week.
I'm glad that there's as distinct lack of harem and loli anime. I'm so sick of the way the last few seasons have so much of them. If Japan keeps that up, I think it'll be the death of anime in other countries apart from Japan.
Thanks! Its really useful to know whats up ahead in the anime world! Really excited!! :D
I admit, the anime I looking forward to most is Code Geass even though I have issues with Lelouch and C.C. ending up together >_>
Other than that, I also can't wait for Soul Eater, especially after watching the promo and Monochrome Factor reminds me too much of Bleach.
Hmmmm.... this list is so interesting =) really wants me to learn japanese so I can watch these without subs haha!
Anyways, I'm not sure if you watch Taiwanese dramas or anything of that sort.... but Itazura na Kiss sounds REALLY similar to a Taiwanese drama that released 2/3 years ago actually....
It's based on a manga actually. So I'm assuming it's the same thing. The manga artist died? And left the story hanging.... The drama picks up the manga and basically did a REALLY interpretation of it (it got the highest ratings for the season when it aired ^^). They started a second season this year... I'm not sure if it's finished yet or not though =S
Well my point isss!! I'm REALLY excited that they finally decided to make an anime out of it =) I've always loved anime more than drama series, so I can't wait to watch it ^^
The other two that sound good are Vampire Knight and Special-A-Class =) I'm such a sucker for romances it's not funny lol! Can't wait!
Is Fukuyama Jun the industry's It Boy now? He's in practically every show this spring...
Is Fukuyama Jun the industry's It Boy now? He's in practically every show this spring...
He's just desperate for work, I guess. I heard it's difficult to make a living as a VA unless you work on many projects. It's depressing thought.
I enjoyed reading the Special A manga so I hope the series doesn't disappoint. However, considering the pacing of the storyline, I can't help but wonder how the adaptation will turn out.
Nabari no Ou should be good. I've read the manga series and loved it. I'm glad an anime for it is coming out now. I could use some ninja crack. =D
Da Capo II Season, Macross F, Code Geass, and Soul Eater would be my choice this season. I also hope that Toshokan War will be good somehow.
Hmmm, much more choices than the last few seasons the passing years!
There are a few which I've seen from the manga, like "Vampire Knight". I liked the manga but as for the anime....I can't say it looks that promising to me.
Another one is "Soul eater". I quite like the manga too, and it is more my type, the comedy shounen. It really depends on your taste for this but it's a nice go, you could try a bit of the manga first on the interenet.
"xxxHOLIC" I would watch it 'cause I love the manga. Admitted, the anime doesn't hold much storyline but still a nice watch.
"Special A", might try but never liked the character designs much.
"Itazura no Kiss" too much of the typical shoujo-ness I've read to much so might skip. I didn't even watch Lovely Complex...
Others like "Amatsuki" "Toshokan Sensou" "Nabari no ou, I'm not too familiar with the plot but might try.
*What's with Code Geass? I've never watched it before...=3=
I'm going for Soul Eater I think. It's quite hilarious and has a plot.
I've also known that Haruhi second season is coming out so I'm waiting for that too!
But I've also heard that there will be Jigoku Shoujo 3.... I think that might ba an exaggeration though.
Mirai nikki may be interesting too (not sure when it comes out).
I'll definitely watch Code Geass R2 and Special A!! The Vampire Knight anime does not look too good for me.. With only 26 episodes, I wonder how they will end the series.. Maybe I'm better off reading the manga.. The story and art is just too good *hands down to Matsuri Hino-sama*. This manga just keeps getting better and better!! and it's not too shoujo-ish
(-^ O ^-) v
i just watched the first ep of blassreiter, code geass and itazura no kiss... u just didnt bother to rate blassreiter... it looked quite good actually... and the storyline intrigued me... code geass was fun as always... leaving the viewer in WTF-mode for the first 10 mins and then explaining what happened later...
of the new anime this season, i've only seen kurenai. i think i might have enjoyed it. i'm not into mecha or cheesy shoujo anime, so it's hard for me to find something in this list that i'd like. there are a few though.
gonzo's anime for this season are really, really bad.
Comment on the "Allison & Lillia" entry:
Motoko Kumai did not play Naruto--I'm not sure where people get this. I don't think Naruto sounds at all like her. Junko Takeuchi plays Naruto.
Motoko Kumai plays Syaoran in Cardcaptor Sakura, Ginta in MAR, Takeo in Beyblade, Goro in Major, Ichiro in Hanada Shonen-Shi, etc. etc. along of course with Wil in Allison & Lillia.
I apologize for being cross, but I have to correct this everywhere it seems and it's becoming annoying. Everyone thinks every female voicing a young boy character sounds like Naruto... ^_^;
Long time reader, first time commenter.
Just wanted to say thanks for the great preview and commentary. This is the most comprehensive spring preview I've found (I really like the preview pic and studio info, along with the synopsis and review).
I wasn't really all that excited before, but now I know I'll have plenty to watch this season...^_^
PS: Brain Base also did the main production of Baccano a couple seasons ago. The character designs looked pretty good, but I still haven't finished the series...
I've always read your blog ^_^ and enjoy it alot! Thnx!
I just want to comment on 'Itazura na Kiss'. I saw 2 series of it and i gotta say, it's short but it's true to the manga form (well... kinda... what i meant is that they dont change anything like they did with Honey&Clover jap series).
I believe it's more suitable for the fans of Itazura na Kiss (or for those who've read the manga/watched the J-series from yrs ago), since this anime is nothing like Deathnote, Code Geass or anything 'new & fancy' drawing or action. So to others who've never heard of it- may find this abit dull. It remains true to the manga. And as an old time fan, i'm happy about it. ^_^
hi, i was wondering what it means when the screening time is listed as 25:00 for instance. does that mean 1am? thanks!
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