(Planned) November Viewing – Anime Edition

Almost exactly a month ago I posted an entry outlining my planned viewing for October, followed a few days later by an update.. Im planning to do the same thing for November. Though hopefully I’ll get everything correct in this first post so I wont need the update. First I’ll outline what can be crossed off the old list and what “off-road” viewing I engaged in before moving on to a look at whats on the card for the next thirty days. As Im planning to participate in National Novel Writing Month I dont think I’ll get quite as much watched this month. But we shall see what transpires.

Well of the thirty shows I had planned to watch (in retrospect one series per day was pushing it more than a little) I managed to get through the following:

To Watch:

Arakawa Under The Bridge
Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky
Bakemonogatari
K-ON!
Occult Academy
Seitokai Yakuindomo
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou (half way through)

To Rewatch:

Natsume Yuujinchou

Unplanned Viewing:

Naruto Shipuuden Episodes 001 – 113
K-ON!!
Durarara!! Episodes 01-12
Ookami-san to Shichinin no Nakamatachi
Senkou no Night Raid

So as we can see my viewing was split more or less equally between planned and unplanned shows. Though the unplanned viewing was mostly spurred on by external factors (e.g. the release of Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, my love of the first season of K-ON!, the completion of the Senkou no Night Raid fansub, etc.). As such Im not too concerned about them. I mentioned above that thirty different shows is a ridiculous number to list for a months viewing; however Im going to set thirty shows as the upper limit for each month. Im unlikley to ever meet it, but I should be able to get through enough of it to accound for new shows and fansubs coming out. Not much change in the planned viewing this month, mostly new additions and one subtraction (Tegami Bachi as it ends on a cliffhanger and the second season is currently airing). So without further ado I present my plans for Novembers anime viewing.

To Watch:

Summer Wars

Plot Summary: When timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by older student and secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family’s Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees without hesitation. Natsuki’s family, the Jinnouchi clan, dates back to the Muromachi era, and they’ve all come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spunky matriarch of the family, Sakae. That’s when Kenji discovers his “summer job” is to pretend to be Natsuki’s fiancé and dance with her at the birthday celebration. As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki’s act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can’t resist solving. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious equation causes a hijacking of the social networking site through which most of the world’s social and business traffic flows.

Kara no Kyoukai – the Garden of sinners

Plot Summary: Mikiya Kokuto finds himself intrigued by two things. The first is by Shiki Ryougi a beautiful, yet rather unsociable, girl and the other is the strange series of violent deaths that start occuring in his town. As he attempts to get closer to Shiki, he soon learns that the two are connected and that there are many supernatural forces at work which could very likely get him killed as well.

The Tower of Druaga: the Sword of Uruk

A continuation of The Tower of Druaga: The Aegis of Uruk (see below).

Dance in the Vampire Bund

Plot Summary: Mina Tepes, the Princess of the ancient covenant and ruler of all vampires, wants her race to stop hiding from the humans. Using her vast wealth, she has paid off Japan’s entire national debt and by doing so, gained the right to create a district off Japan’s coast that is to become the future haven to vampires worldwide. But when she finally attemps to make public the existence of vampires to the world some politicians, terrorists and rival factions are plotting to assassinate Mina before she has a chance to get Japan’s and International recognition for the Vampire Bund. Now she must rely on her strength, cruelty and those closest to her, while trying to make a normal life.

Durarara!!

Plot Summary: Ryuugamine Mikado is a boy who longs for the exciting life of the big city. At the invitation of his childhood friend Masaomi, he transfers to a school in Ikebukuro. Masaomi has warned him about people he doesn’t want to cross in the city: a champion fighter, an informant, and a mysterious gang called “Dollars.” Nervous from Masaomi’s stories, Mikado witnesses an urban legend on his first day in the city, the Headless Rider astride a black motorcycle. From then on, the existence of supernatural cases and a gang called the Yellow Turbans will rise to the surface, and Ikebukuro will pushed to the breaking point.

Golgo 13

Plot Summary: Duke Togo, a.k.a. Golgo 13, is a highly-skilled assassin hired only by those who pay top-dollar for his services – whether it’s the FBI, CIA, industrial corporations or mafias. Regardless of who the target is or what situations he encounters, Golgo 13 always gets the job done.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Plot Summary: Two brothers lose their mother to an incurable disease. With the power of “alchemy”, they use taboo knowledge to resurrect her. The process fails, and as a toll for using this type of alchemy, the older brother, Edward Elric loses his left leg while the younger brother, Alphonse Elric loses his entire body. To save his brother, Edward sacrifices his right arm and is able to affix his brother’s soul to a suit of armor. With the help of a family friend, Edward receives metal limbs – “automail” – to replace his lost ones. With that, Edward vows to search for the Philosopher’s Stone to return the brothers to their original bodies, even if it means becoming a “State Alchemist”, one who uses his/her alchemy for the military.

Heroman

(The second image may be a clue as to which famous american comic icon was involved in its creation)Plot Summary:An American kid named Joey lives in an urban city & has always wanted to become a hero. Unfortunately he's just an orphan working part time to support his grandma and himself. After he watched a toy commercial on a new robot action figure, Joey believe he'll gain strength if he obtains one. The only robot toy he can get his hands on is a broken one that was abandon by a rich school bully. Feeling pity for the trashed action figure, Joey took it home to repair it. Little did he know, that once he repairs the toy, it'll make his hero dream become a reality.

Highschool of the Dead

Plot Summary: Takashi Komuro is a normal highschool boy, until an infection breaks out that turns people into zombie-like creatures. Along with his friends & the school nurse, they fight their way out and continue their journey to find out what exactly has happened to the world.

Baccano!

Plot Summary: Each of the stories in the series involves several unrelated plots intersecting and crossing each other as events spiral farther and farther out of control. Immortal alchemists, mafia operated speakeasies, and many other elements of pulp fiction mashed together for a world straight out of the movies.

Canaan

Plot Summary: Two years ago, Shibuya was ravaged by a biological terrorist attack using the deadly Ua virus. Maria Osawa was saved when her father inoculated her against the virus, but is left with partial amnesia from the shock. She works as a cameraman when she reunites with a girl named Canaan in Shanghai, China. A gifted assassin with synesthesia, she is under orders from an unknown organization for a yet unspecified mission.

Casshern Sins

Plot Summary:After the murder of Luna, the robot society that rules the planet starts to rust and decay. Death and despair spread through the land like wildfire. The only one unaffected by the affliction that becomes known as "The Ruin" is Luna's assassin, Casshern. Unable to remember if he really triggered this capital sin against the entire mechanized civilization, Casshern embarks on a journey to unravel the mystery that connects him, Luna, and the plague.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2

SPOILERS

Plot Summary: It's been one year since the failure of the Black Rebellion and the supposed death of Zero. Britannia has assigned Area 11 a "correctional education" status, where Elevens are made an example of by brute force, to try to prevent any future uprisings and suppress rebellious thoughts. Unsuspecting high school student Lelouch, oblivious to his rebellious past as Zero, stumbles upon a scheme on his life and the life of a mysterious woman known as C.C., who reveals to him his forgotten purpose and his "true" self. Destroying his assailants and declaring himself Zero once again, Lelouch sets out to finish what he started

Detroit Metal City

Plot Summary: Detroit Metal City (DMC) is a quickly rising independent Death Metal band. They garner fame by performing wild live shows and writing songs filled with hate, violence, and rape. The band is fronted by Sōichi Negishi who takes on the stage name Krauser II. On stage he is a wild-unchained beast. Off-stage he is a tranquil, tender-loving person who enjoys Swedish Pop music. He hates himself as Krauser and his two personalities collide making his private life very difficult.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Plot Summary: On one hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There, he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika, and Satoko. Accepted as a full-fledged member of the "club," Keiichi and the gang plays all sorts of activities ranging from card and board games to hide-and-seek. But just as Keiichi was beginning to be assimilated in simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa. As Keiichi dives deeper into the mystery, he finds that his new found friends may not be all what they claim to be.

Magic Users Club

Plot Summary: The aliens have been defeated, and the Bell has been transformed into a gigantic cherry tree. Now, the brave Magic User's Club must reconvene to deal with a new problem. Apparently, some inconsiderate persons left a skyscraper sized cherry tree in the middle of Tokyo, and it's become a major inconvenience to everyone in the city. Even though they have no idea who could have done such a thing, the Club feels strangely responsible and springs into action. Meanwhile, a mysterious person is spying on the magic club in the form of a small boy.

Mouryou no Hako

Plot Summary: The story follows a series of bizzare murders of schoolgirls who have been dismembered and stuffed into boxes. The private investigator hired by a missing daughters mother joins forces with an antique book seller and others to unravel the murder spree.

Spice and Wolf & Spice and Wolf II

Plot Summary: Kraft Lawrence, a 25 year old peddler travelling from town to town selling and buying various things to make a living during a period much like Europe in the Middle Ages. One night when stopped at the town of Pasroe, he finds in his wagon a 250 year old pagan wolf deity girl named Holo. She appears to be that of a 15 year old girl, except for a wolf tail and ears. She introduces herself as the town's goddess of harvest who has kept it blessed with good harvests of wheat for many years. Despite having the responsibility to watch over the town, she wants to go back to her homeland in the north called Yoitsu, she believes the people have already forsaken her anyway and that she has kept her promise to maintain the good harvests. She manages to bargain her way out of the village by making a deal with Lawrence to take her with him. As they travel, her wisdom helps increase his profits, but at the same time, her true nature draws unwanted attention from the church.

The Sacred Blacksmith

Plot Summary: As the newest head of the prestigious Campbell household, young Cecily Campbell is following family tradition by becoming a Knight Guard of the Independent Trade City of Housman and taking up the family sword. While being attacked by a crazed veteran knight, she was saved by Luke, the Sacred Blacksmith. Alongside Lisa, his assistant, Luke has the power to forge powerful swords capable of defeating the so feared demons. Demons which could once again bring the world close to an end.

To Aru Kagaku no Railgun

Plot Summary: Academy City is a highly developed place in terms of technology. It is said to be 20 to 30 years ahead of the rest of the world. 80% of it's 2.3 million residents are students. The focus of studies here is directed towards esper powers. Misaka Mikoto, one of the top level espers in town, shares a room with Kuroko Shirai, another high level esper who is a member of Judgement, a law enforcing agency composed of students. Both attend to Tokiwadai, a private school reserved for the high-leveled and the rich. Kuroko's partner at Judgement, Kazari Uiharu, is a low level esper who studies at Sakugawa middle school. Her best friend and classmate there is Ruiko Saten, a level zero (no esper powers). Together, the four encounter several adventures in the exciting scientific town.

Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou

Continuation of Natsume Yuujinchou (see below)

Mobile Suit Gundam 00

Plot Summary: It is the year A.D. 2307. Fossil fuels on Earth have been depleted entirely, with mankind turning to the next available power source: solar energy. During this time, 3 orbital elevators with solar power generation systems are built, each under control by the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations (formerly United States of America), the Human Reform League (Russia, China and India) and the Advanced European Union. However, not all countries are able to enjoy the benefits of this system, leading to widespread resentment and war. Arising out of the conflict, a mysterious military organization known as Celestial Being appears, dedicated to end all warfare using Mobile Suits called Gundam. This begins the stories of Gundam Meisters (pilots) Setsuna F. Seiei, Lockon Stratos, Allelujah Haptism and Tiera Erde as they are thrown into conflict between the 3 superpowers and the various other factions.

To Rewatch:

Shikabane Hime: Aka

Plot Summary: The title "Corpse Princess" belongs to Makina Hoshimura, an undead girl who seeks to hunt down 108 corpses in order to go to heaven.

The Tower of Druaga: the Aegis of Uruk

Plot Summary: The Summer of "Anu": In a summer once every five years, demons in the mysterious Tower of Druaga lose their powers due to the magic spell cast by a god named "Anu". King Gilgamesh, ruler of the kingdom Uruk, uses the appearance of demons as an excuse to invade the tower and find out the construct's secrets. As 80 years passed, the Uruk army managed to fight back the demons and built a fortress city and safe haven on the very first floor of Druaga - Metz Kier. Thus begins the story of a warrior named Jil who, finding companions along the way, embarks on a quest for the fabled Blue Crystal Rod, a powerful artifact rumored to be in the highest floor of Druaga. However, other competitors, including the kingdom of Uruk itself, want the treasure, all for their own reasons.

To Aru Majutsu no Index

Plot Summary: In a world where science clarifies supernatural powers. In a huge college that has power development in its curriculum. To a resident high school student, Kamijou Touma, a pure white sister appears. She calls herself "Index" and says that sorcerers are chasing her. Thus, Kamijou Touma enters the world of the occult.

Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion

Plot Summary: The Empire of Britannia has invaded Japan using giant robot weapons called Knightmare Frames. Japan is now referred to as Area 11, and its people the 11's. A Britannian who was living in Japan at the time, Lelouch, vowed to his Japanese friend Suzaku that he'd destroy Britannia. Years later, Lelouch is in high school, but regularly skips out of school to go play chess and gamble on himself. One day, he stumbles on terrorists 11's who've stolen a military secret and is caught by a member of the Britannian task force sent after them, who is Suzaku. As the rest of the squad arrives, Suzaku is shot for disobeying orders, while the military secret, a young girl, gives Lelouch the power of Geass, which makes anyone obey any order. While Suzaku is secretly made the pilot of Britannia's brand new prototype Knightmare, Lancelot, Lelouch becomes the masked Zero to lead the rebellion to destroy Britannia once and for all.

Darker than BLACK

Plot Summary: ITS MOTHER FUCKING X-MEN MEETS COLD WAR JAMES BOND! *ahem* In Tokyo, an impenetrable field known as "Hell's Gate" appeared ten years ago. At the same time, psychics who wield paranormal powers at the cost of their conscience also emerged. Hei is one of the most powerful of these psychic agents, and along with his blind associate, Yin, works for one of the many rival agencies vying to unlock the mysteries of Hell's Gate.

To Possibly Rewatch:

Black Lagoon

Plot Summary: Okajima Rokuro is a Japanese businessman…in a town full of Japanese businessmen. His normal day consists of social drinking with clients and being kicked around by his bosses. He finally gets a break though, as he’s sent by his company to the tropical seas of Eastern China to deliver a disc…only his boat gets hijacked by a band of mercenaries that were hired to steal it. “Rock” (as he is newly dubbed by his captors) catches the interest of the only female merc “Revy” as she thinks he’s worth a ransom, taking him hostage. However, the disc turns out to be more trouble than its worth, and complicates things both for Rock, and the mercenaries known as Black Lagoon.

Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei

Plot Summary: Itoshiki Nozomu is the world's most negative person. To his way of thinking, there is no hope or meaning in this existence. Even the three kanji of his name become the two-kanji word zetsubou, "despair", when compressed. What an ironic twist of fate, then, that he becomes teacher to a class containing his precise opposite, the invincibly positive-minded Fuura Kafuka.

Yakushiji Ryoko

Plot Summary: Based on a series of light novels written by Tanaka Yoshiki. The story revolves around Ryōko Yakushiji, a brilliant 27-year-old elite investigator with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. Together with her subordinate Junichirō Izumida, the two often investigate bizzare and supernatural cases. In addition with the paranormal, Ryōko also has a longstanding rivalry with Yukiko Muromachi, another talented police investigator.

Listening to: Belle & Sebastian - Wrapped Up in Books

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