Article: Summer 2011 anime preview

Summer 2011 anime preview - Page 5

Morita-san wa Mukuchi

If you're wondering where all of the four-panel manga adaptations for this season have gone, here's one for you - Morita-san wa Mukuchi (aka Morita-san is Silent), which follows up an OVA bundled with a volume of the manga with a full-on TV series this summer.  The show stars Morita Mayu, a shy and reluctant young girl whose refusal to speak or make eye contact with people while she's thinking about what to say causes all sorts of misunderstandings.

Should I watch it?  Four-panel manga adaptations are always pretty hit and miss, but this sounds like a series with a rather limited scope so I doubt it'll be hugely entertaining in all honesty.

Natsume Yuujinchou San

Brain's Base are busy people this summer - aside from the shows we've already mentioned the new anime season also sees them unleash a third season of Natsume Yuujinchou (aka Natsume's Book of Friends), continuing this animated adaptation of a manga about a boy who can see spirits as he tries to return the names of such spirits "captured" by his late grandmother to their rightful owners.

Should I watch it?  Natsume Yuujinchou is an undoubtedly popular series with a fun, rich premise and a solid anime adaptation - this third season will no doubt offer more of the same, so it's a must-watch for those that have watched the first two series.

Nekogami Yaoyorozu

AIC adapt this comedy manga about a guy who runs an antique shop and finds himself living with a cat god who spends its days sponging off him - a cat god who finds himself visited by numerous other gods in the search for fun and the chance to goof around.

Should I watch it?  AIC have put together some impressive offerings of late, but I can't get overly excited about this one - it could be fun enough, but don't expect anything spectacular.

No. 6

The first of the summer season's two shows on Fuji Television's noitaminA programming slot is No. 6 - rather than an anime of The Prisoner, this offering from Studio BONES is based on a series of science fiction novels by prolific author Atsuko Asano.  The premise of the show is simple enough, portraying a world where intelligent people get everything they desire while the rest are left with little to nothing.  Expect some character-driven, high concept fare here.

Should I watch it?  noitaminA series are always worth at least considering, and there's plenty of potential in the show's concept provided it can do something interesting with it.