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The trend with the Summer 2009 anime season seems to be "Less shows/More quality". The majority of shows are slated for a single season, and only one has an atypical episode running time of 150 seconds. The shows vary greatly by genre and content, as can be seen below. Surprisingly, there are very few shows which genuinely buy into clichéd settings such as the girl with magic powers or kids with superpowers. Rather, the shows of the season are aimed toward an older audience and attempt to be sophisticated and interesting without automatically resorting to using typical show templates.



I've certainly been wrong before, but my thoughts on anime have changed quite a bit in the last year. Keep in mind that shows don't always have the same level of quality throughout and that some redeem themselves only by their last couple episodes. These are only my picks after watching the first episode or two of each show, so I certainly may turn up wrong at the end. But, without further ado, here are my picks for the summer.

Preliminary ratings:

01. Umineko no Naku Koro Ni (10)
02. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 (10)
03. Bakemonogatari (10)
04. Taishou Yakyuu Musume (9)
05. Spice and Wolf II (9)
06. Weiss Survive (8)
07. Umi Monogatari (8)
08. Aoi Hana (7)
09. Princess Lover! (7)
10. Fight Ippatsu! Juuden-chan!! (7)
11. CANAAN (6)
12. Sora no Manimani (6)
13. Needless (5)
14. Kanamemo (3)

Not impressed:

Yokuwakaru Gendaimahou (couldn't finish the first episode, it's that dumb)
GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class (comedy without humor)

I have not seen Element Hunters, and don't plan to, since it's a blatant shounen kiddy show. Nor Kuruneko; it's listed on the Summer 2009 Group page, but good luck finding it anywhere.

It's worth noting that there is a sequel to Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, although I haven't seen the second season or OVA so I'm not planning to watch it at the moment. And I don't think there's any need for me to remind you that the rest of Haruhi Suzumiya is airing.



Drama: Driven by conflict, generally the audience is interested in the interactions between the characters, the solution of conflicts, the enveloping story, and the wellbeing (or lack of it) of the characters.

Comedy: Comedy may or may not involve conflict, but it certainly involves humor. The goal of a comedy is to make the audience smile, laugh, and enjoy the show as events unfold.

Action: Action shows rely on their aesthetic appeal. High-speed chases, battles, fights, guns swords and fists are all common action elements.

Romance: Focuses on the relationships between characters. Love, lust, sex, coming-of-age, marriage and dates are common elements.

Science Fiction: Involves futuristic concepts, advanced technology and postmodern civilization. Sci-fi can range from utterly realistic (deemed "Hard Science Fiction") to impossible (magic, superhumans, aliens and time travel). Steampunk and cyberpunk are encapsulated.

Ecchi: Shows of a perverted nature. Harems, breasts, sexual encounters, accidental molestation and lewd thoughts are typical. It would be appropriate to call it "anime soft-porn".

Seinen: Shows aimed at men in their twenties. Typically contains more mature themes and sophisticated ideas.

Shounen: Shows aimed at boys. Superpowers, fights, machines and beautiful women are common elements. Examples include DBZ, Naruto, Soul Eater, One Piece.

Shoujo: Shows aimed at girls. Cuteness, school life, and relationships are prevalent. Examples include Card Captor Sakura, Shugo Chara, Fruits Basket, and Fushigi Yuugi.