Well, the winter anime season is coming up. So this is a (non-exhaustive) list of the new anime series to air beginning January 2009, along with some commentary from yours truly. This post will be continuously updated whenever new anime are announced. Spring 2009 list will be up when a bulk of anime series have confirmed slots for April 2009. OVA or movies have not been included in this list. Don't ask about Haruhi, KyoAni will release it when its ready - I'm hoping it'll debut this spring, but that's just wishful thinking.
Note: This list is final, unless if there are any last minute announcements.
Update 11/13: Konnichiwa Anne and Queen's Blade are on the bubble as they have not yet been confirmed to begin airing this coming January. There is a possibility that they may begin airing in April for the Spring anime season.
Update 11/17: Z Mazinger added.
Update 11/20: Hatsukoi Limited added.
Update 12/3: Finalized. Hatsukoi Limited removed from list, doesn't look like it'll be airing this winter - a possible spring premiere.
Update 12/15: Finalized deux. MUNTO 3 swapped in, it's airing in this season after all, Queen's Blade is on the bubble as there's no word on whether it's going to be a late arrival or really going to air this spring.
If you rather see the whole wall of anime series airing this winter, check this link out ~ image is approx. 950KB.
Without further ado, I present to you the Winter 2009 anime season lineup (25 total):
Afro Samurai: Resurrection ~ Action
Afro "loses his way" and gets tired of killing, but wants to fulfill his destiny of being the world's number one warrior.
Akikan! / Empty Can! ~ Comedy/Romance
Based on the light novel of the same name, revolving around your typical high school boy named Kakeru Daichi who buys a can of soda from a vending machine. The can transforms into a girl and Kakeru names her "Melon", more of these "empty cans" appear. In order for all of them to survive, they need to be infused with carbon dioxide.
Asu no Yoichi! / Ashita no Yoichi! ~ Comedy/Romance
Yoichi, a boy 17 years of age, has completed swordplay training his father has given him, and since he does not have any more training for him, his father sends him off from the mountain where they reside to enroll into a dojo (place of martial arts training). At this dojo, there are four sisters that live there, and Yoichi begins some new training.
Axis Powers Hetalia ~ Comedy/Fantasy/Historical
Based on the popular web comic of the same name about world history where each character represents a certain characteristic/stereotype of each country. For example, Canada pours maple syrup over everything, America loves to eat pizza, etc.
Fresh PreCure! ~ Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy
Children's TV show about magical school girls, sequel to Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!.
Sims: Think Sailor Moon, that pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.
Genji Mongatari Sennenki Genji ~ Drama/Historical/Romance/Shoujo
It's based on a historical legend thousands of years old.
Hajime no Ippo Season II / Fighting Spirit S2 ~ Comedy/Drama/Sports
Guy who gets bullied by others gets the inspiration to take up boxing and be a professional boxer, picks up from the first season.
Kemono no Souja Erin ~ Drama/Fantasy/Mystery
Based on the novel of the same name, that seems to take place in a fantasy world with dragons, revolving around an abandoned child and her adventures.
Sims:This anime is also 50 episodes long, so that's a long one for ya.
Kokaku no Regios / Chrome Shelled Regios ~ Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Based on the light novel, set in the distant future, global warming and pollution contaminate creatures and overtake the land forcing humans to live in mobile cities known as "regios".
Kuro Kami / Black God ~ Action/Drama/Seinen/Supernatural
Based on the manga, a manic girl gets involved with a guy's life after he looses his arm during an unexpected battle involving the girl.
Major S5 ~ Sports
Baseball, sports, fifth season. Homerun!
Sims: There's FIVE seasons of this!? Quite an impressive run.
Maria†Holic ~ Comedy/Romance
Kanako, a sophomore, enrolls in an all-girls school looking for her life partner among her classmates. She finds someone she's interested in, but doesn't know that this person is really a cross-dressing sadistic boy.
Sims: I. Don't. Know. What. To. Say.
Oh, I know: IT'S A TRAP!
Maria-sama ga Miteru Season 4 / The Virgin Mary is Watching Over You S4 ~ Slice of Life
Fourth season of Maria.
Minami-ke Okaeri / The Minami Family: Welcome Home ~ Comedy/Slice of Life
Three sisters depend on and help each other through life regarding various topics and activities from cooking to love confessions. The third season of the series and adaptation of Coharu Sakuraba's Minami-ke manga series.
Sims: Think of being it similar to Lucky Star, where both don't have plots, and Azumanga Daioh, for their crazy humor. Unlike these two series, Minami-ke has more than one season. If you saw both seasons, you'll know that season two (Minami-ke ~Okawari~) was more slice of life than comedy due to a production company change.
Munto 3: Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai ~ Fantasy
In English, that's The World Reflected in the Eyes of a Girl Looking Up at the Heavens. It's part of the Munto franchise, and an alternative retelling of the OVA (original video animation) Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time. However, unlike Munto 1 or 2, both were released as OVAs, Munto 3 will be aired as a TV series.
Animated by KyoAni. Where's my Haruhi season two, KyoAni? [/endrant]
Ride Back ~ Mecha/Sci-Fi
A girl and robot and their adventures set in the future during a time of anti-government student protests.
Shikabane Hime: Kuro / Corpse Princess: Black ~ Action/Horror
Second season of a machine-gun totting zombie girl who needs to kill 108 other zombies in order to go to Heaven.
Sims: Wow, the first season [Shikabane Hime: Aka / Corpse Princess: Red] is airing this fall, and already a second season?
Slayers Evolution-R ~ Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy
Fifth series of Slayers.
Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo ~ Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi
That's Girl who Leapt through Space, a Sunrise Original.
Sims: SUNRIIIIIISSSEEE!!!!
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode 2nd Season ~ Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Guy runs into girl before a big exam, girl is chasing a criminal, criminal kills guy, girl merges guy into her body to keep him alive. Continuation from first season.
Tower of Druaga - the Sword of Uruk ~ Adventure/Fantasy
Second season, revolves around a various groups of heroes to save or destroy the world during the summer.
Sims: Seems to be an interesting take on a fantasy genre, same genre as World Destruction.
Viper's Creed ~ Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Takes place in the mid 21st century after a devastating world war, revolves around a group of characters in the "Viper" unit of a private military company (PMC).
White Album ~ Romance
Based on a visual novel.
Z Mazinger ~ Action
Retelling of the classic mecha anime Mazinger Z set in the contemporary times ancient Greek mythology.
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou ~ Supernatural
Second season anime based on Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume Yuujin-Choo shoujo ghost-story manga.
Sims: Heard it's very much like xxxHOLIC, Mushishi, and Ghost Hound.
Note: This list is final, unless if there are any last minute announcements.
Update 11/13: Konnichiwa Anne and Queen's Blade are on the bubble as they have not yet been confirmed to begin airing this coming January. There is a possibility that they may begin airing in April for the Spring anime season.
Update 11/17: Z Mazinger added.
Update 11/20: Hatsukoi Limited added.
Update 12/3: Finalized. Hatsukoi Limited removed from list, doesn't look like it'll be airing this winter - a possible spring premiere.
Update 12/15: Finalized deux. MUNTO 3 swapped in, it's airing in this season after all, Queen's Blade is on the bubble as there's no word on whether it's going to be a late arrival or really going to air this spring.
If you rather see the whole wall of anime series airing this winter, check this link out ~ image is approx. 950KB.
Without further ado, I present to you the Winter 2009 anime season lineup (25 total):
Afro Samurai: Resurrection ~ Action
Afro "loses his way" and gets tired of killing, but wants to fulfill his destiny of being the world's number one warrior.
Akikan! / Empty Can! ~ Comedy/Romance
Based on the light novel of the same name, revolving around your typical high school boy named Kakeru Daichi who buys a can of soda from a vending machine. The can transforms into a girl and Kakeru names her "Melon", more of these "empty cans" appear. In order for all of them to survive, they need to be infused with carbon dioxide.
Asu no Yoichi! / Ashita no Yoichi! ~ Comedy/Romance
Yoichi, a boy 17 years of age, has completed swordplay training his father has given him, and since he does not have any more training for him, his father sends him off from the mountain where they reside to enroll into a dojo (place of martial arts training). At this dojo, there are four sisters that live there, and Yoichi begins some new training.
Axis Powers Hetalia ~ Comedy/Fantasy/Historical
Based on the popular web comic of the same name about world history where each character represents a certain characteristic/stereotype of each country. For example, Canada pours maple syrup over everything, America loves to eat pizza, etc.
Fresh PreCure! ~ Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy
Children's TV show about magical school girls, sequel to Yes! Precure 5 GoGo!.
Sims: Think Sailor Moon, that pretty much sums it up in a nutshell.
Genji Mongatari Sennenki Genji ~ Drama/Historical/Romance/Shoujo
It's based on a historical legend thousands of years old.
Hajime no Ippo Season II / Fighting Spirit S2 ~ Comedy/Drama/Sports
Guy who gets bullied by others gets the inspiration to take up boxing and be a professional boxer, picks up from the first season.
Kemono no Souja Erin ~ Drama/Fantasy/Mystery
Based on the novel of the same name, that seems to take place in a fantasy world with dragons, revolving around an abandoned child and her adventures.
Sims:This anime is also 50 episodes long, so that's a long one for ya.
Kokaku no Regios / Chrome Shelled Regios ~ Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Based on the light novel, set in the distant future, global warming and pollution contaminate creatures and overtake the land forcing humans to live in mobile cities known as "regios".
Kuro Kami / Black God ~ Action/Drama/Seinen/Supernatural
Based on the manga, a manic girl gets involved with a guy's life after he looses his arm during an unexpected battle involving the girl.
Major S5 ~ Sports
Baseball, sports, fifth season. Homerun!
Sims: There's FIVE seasons of this!? Quite an impressive run.
Maria†Holic ~ Comedy/Romance
Kanako, a sophomore, enrolls in an all-girls school looking for her life partner among her classmates. She finds someone she's interested in, but doesn't know that this person is really a cross-dressing sadistic boy.
Sims: I. Don't. Know. What. To. Say.
Oh, I know: IT'S A TRAP!Maria-sama ga Miteru Season 4 / The Virgin Mary is Watching Over You S4 ~ Slice of Life
Fourth season of Maria.
Minami-ke Okaeri / The Minami Family: Welcome Home ~ Comedy/Slice of Life
Three sisters depend on and help each other through life regarding various topics and activities from cooking to love confessions. The third season of the series and adaptation of Coharu Sakuraba's Minami-ke manga series.
Sims: Think of being it similar to Lucky Star, where both don't have plots, and Azumanga Daioh, for their crazy humor. Unlike these two series, Minami-ke has more than one season. If you saw both seasons, you'll know that season two (Minami-ke ~Okawari~) was more slice of life than comedy due to a production company change.
Munto 3: Sora wo Miageru Shoujo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai ~ Fantasy
In English, that's The World Reflected in the Eyes of a Girl Looking Up at the Heavens. It's part of the Munto franchise, and an alternative retelling of the OVA (original video animation) Munto 2: Beyond the Walls of Time. However, unlike Munto 1 or 2, both were released as OVAs, Munto 3 will be aired as a TV series.
Animated by KyoAni. Where's my Haruhi season two, KyoAni? [/endrant]
Ride Back ~ Mecha/Sci-Fi
A girl and robot and their adventures set in the future during a time of anti-government student protests.
Shikabane Hime: Kuro / Corpse Princess: Black ~ Action/Horror
Second season of a machine-gun totting zombie girl who needs to kill 108 other zombies in order to go to Heaven.
Sims: Wow, the first season [Shikabane Hime: Aka / Corpse Princess: Red] is airing this fall, and already a second season?
Slayers Evolution-R ~ Adventure/Comedy/Fantasy
Fifth series of Slayers.
Sora wo Kakeru Shoujo ~ Adventure/Comedy/Sci-Fi
That's Girl who Leapt through Space, a Sunrise Original.
Sims: SUNRIIIIIISSSEEE!!!!
Tetsuwan Birdy Decode 2nd Season ~ Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi
Guy runs into girl before a big exam, girl is chasing a criminal, criminal kills guy, girl merges guy into her body to keep him alive. Continuation from first season.
Tower of Druaga - the Sword of Uruk ~ Adventure/Fantasy
Second season, revolves around a various groups of heroes to save or destroy the world during the summer.
Sims: Seems to be an interesting take on a fantasy genre, same genre as World Destruction.
Viper's Creed ~ Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi
Takes place in the mid 21st century after a devastating world war, revolves around a group of characters in the "Viper" unit of a private military company (PMC).
White Album ~ Romance
Based on a visual novel.
Z Mazinger ~ Action
Retelling of the classic mecha anime Mazinger Z set in the contemporary times ancient Greek mythology.
Zoku Natsume Yuujinchou ~ Supernatural
Second season anime based on Yuki Midorikawa's Natsume Yuujin-Choo shoujo ghost-story manga.
Sims: Heard it's very much like xxxHOLIC, Mushishi, and Ghost Hound.
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