Summer 2012 Anime Season Chart (UPDATED)

The chart is here, and this is v3.1. The chart will be updated if there's new information about anime releases until we considered it as complete, well, every few weeks.

Changes in this version:
> Campione!, Oda Nobuna no Yabou & Hagure Yuusha no Estetica anime TV airing date updated.

NOTE: The picture shown below is taken from v3. If you want the latest version of the chart, click on the link below to download.

Click HERE to download this chart.

Click HERE to download this chart.

Top 10 Late Night Anime with the Best Endings

Anime fans have given their verdict on the late night anime series with the greatest endings, providing a ranking which more than makes up for its mildly amnesiac qualities (mere 20th century anime need not apply) with sheer quality.

The ranking:

1. Ano Hi Mita Hana
2. K-ON!!
3. Bakemonogatari
4. Clannad After Story
5. Puella Magi Madoka Magica
6. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
7. Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou
8. Another
9. Ano Natsu de Matteru
10. Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha

Source: Sankaku Complex.

Little Busters! TV Anime to be Animated by J. C. Staff

Image source: Sankaku Complex.

The news that the long-awaited adaptation of Key eroge Little Busters! is to be handled by J.C. Staff rather than the much hoped for Kyoto Animation has prompted tremendous outpourings of sweet otaku tears in Japan and beyond.

Non-fans of the original can probably be forgiven for not caring at all, but for overexcited Key fans hoping the title would be a blockbuster on par with Clannad the news has been devastating – though whether this is the result of the perceived weakness of J.C. Staff or the extreme strength of Kyoto Animation is still the subject of much anguished debate.

Source: Sankaku Complex.

TV Tokyo Announces Train Hero Series, Plus Movie

 Image source: Japanator.

It's been a while since we've had any train-related stories in anime or manga - not since Miracle Train, the anime where different train lines were represented as bishounen characters. That is set to change with the latest CGI anime Train Hero, from TV Tokyo in association with Carloon Animation and Total Production Office.

Bleeding Cool reports that the anime is about a Thunderbirds-style rescue team that saves high-speed trains from various disasters. Naturally, as all technology is prone to do in Japan, their trains will transform in order to save the day.

Pat Lee (formerly of Dreamwave) is designing the characters for the 26-episode series, which will also be made into a film timed to coincide with the 2012 debut of China's new high-speed train between Beijing and Shanghai. The TV series will air much sooner on April 26, later being offered to China and other parts of Asia.

Train Hero sounds utterly silly, but maybe they can get some good ridiculous action scenes into some episodes. Here's hoping for multi-track drifting!

Source: Japanator.

Spring 2012 Anime Season Chart (UPDATED)

Full chart is here, and this is v4. The chart will be updated if there's new information about anime releases until we considered it as complete, well, every few weeks.

With that, the TV anime list is now complete. Now, the next version of the chart (v5) will have the updates of OVA/DVD/BD/Specials/etc. and Movies, if available.

Changes in this version: 
> Sankarea, Nazo no Kanojo X, AKB0048, Accel World, Jormungand, Shining Hearts, etc. release date updated
> Some minor changes

Click HERE to download this chart.

Click HERE to download this chart.

Little Busters! Visual Novel Gets TV Anime

Long-suffering Little Busters! fans are rejoicing with the news that the game is apparently finally due its long-awaited TV anime adaptation.

The announcement itself comes from an advert in a Dengeki web radio broadcast, and so whilst having good provenance has very little in the way of details; further information is expected in April.

Little Busters!, aside from being a very popular eroge/visual novel, has long been notorious simply due to the fact it has not yet been turned into an anime (the first game dates from 2007), something which has long aggrieved its fans.

Fans themselves appear to be delighted, with some predicting Clannad-level success should the adaptation fall into the hands of Kyoto Animation again.

Source: Sankaku Complex.

Top 15 Most Anticipated Anime of Spring 2012

Anime fans impatiently awaiting the new anime of spring 2012 have assembled this ranking of their most anticipated titles, with plenty of old favourites looking set to return – as well as a couple nobody particularly liked the first time around.

The ranking:

1. Saki – Achiga-hen Episode of Side-A

2. Fate/Zero 2

3. Hyoka

4. Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka? OF THE DEAD

5. Medaka Box

6. Accel World

7. Eureka Seven: AO

8. Sakamichi no Apollon

9. Kimi to Boku 2

10. Kuroko no Basket

11. Shining Hearts

12. Phi Brain: Puzzle of God

13. Shirokuma Cafe

14. Sankarea

15. Tsuritama

Source: Sankaku Complex.