Summer 2011 Anime Releases
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Last Updated: Jul 22 2011 - 4:56pm EDT
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Note: For winter and summer, I've decided to do a guide, but a more condensed version. Thus, it will have less information.

Appleseed XIII - 13 eps
Groups: Unlimited Translation Works
Summary: In the wake of the destruction of a worldwide non-nuclear war, the city Olympus has become the control center of the world. Run by Bioroids (cloned humans made from only the best DNA), it is defended from terrorists by special military forces. Among these are former LAPD SWAT member Deunan Knotts and her multipurpose cyborg partner Brialeos. They face a challenge from the Human Liberation Front and its terrorist underbelly the Argonauts. The leader of this group, Al Ceides, supposedly died 20 years ago in an attack on Poseidon, but now his shadow emerges once again. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu Ni! (TV 2) - 13? eps
Groups: Hatsuyuki Fansubs, Doki Fansubs & SGKK
Link: anidb

Blood-C - 12+ eps
Groups: Doki Fansubs, Underwater
Summary: A new original animation based on the Blood franchise and featuring popular mangaka collaboration Clamp as original character designers. [from anidb]
My First Impressions: Think typical innocent, clutzy school girl who changes personality at night when she goes to fight with her sword. I was bored out of my mind. Oh, she seems to have a bit of a father complex too... Plus, for some reason, the animation and character drawings are poor even if designed by CLAMP. <not continuing unless recommended>
Link: anidb

Dantalian no Shoka - 13 eps
Groups: m.3.3.w, Hatsuyuki Fansub, Whine-Subs
Summary: Hugh Anthony Disward inherits an old mansion and a personal library from his grandfather. In the basement of the mansion, he meets a mysterious girl, Dalian. She is a Dantalian and a gateway to "Dantalian's bookshelf", which stores the prohibited books of the demons. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <coming soon?>
Link: ANN

Double-J - ? eps
Groups: Hiryuu Fansubs
Summary: In a school where after school activities are mandatory among all students, Hajime and her friend Sayo come across a new club that they have never seen before. The club is called "The Cultural Activity Preservation Club." The two enter the room to find all kinds of analog jobs and activities, such as handcrafting mats and toothpicks. This is a unique cultural manga mixed with comedy so as not to bore you, this is Double J! [from anidb]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: anidb

The Idolmaster - 12+ eps
Groups: Doki Fansubs, Nuke Fansubs
Summary: The arduous struggle of the 13 girls from Talent Production 765 who dream of one day becoming idols in the competitive Japanese entertainment industry. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: ugh, I tried, but this just bored me out of my mind. I guess it might be better than the last one, but <not continuing unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Ikoku Meiro no Croisee - 12+ eps
Groups: Ayako
Summary: The story takes place in the second half of the 19th century, as Japanese culture gains popularity in the West. A young Japanese girl, Yune, accompanies a French traveller, Oscar, on his journey back to France, and offers to help at the family's ironwork shop in Paris. Oscar's nephew and shopowner Claude reluctantly accepts to take care of Yune, and we learn how those two, who have so little in common, get to understand each other and live together in the Paris of the 1800s. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <coming soon - maybe - if it's good, I'm more likely to read the manga though>
Other Comments: <Ice> Ikoku Meiro no Croisée is interesting enough and cute enough I'll continue watching; I'm curious where they are going with it, but I was entertained enough with episode one that I don't care at the moment :)
Link: ANN

Itsuka Tenma no Kuro Usagi - 12 eps + OVA
Groups: Derp, WhyNot?
Summary: 1st year high school student Kurogane Taito is a disillusioned youth. He has thrown away the belief that hard work and effort will be compensated. Now, he simply exists as the days pass him by. However, there is something that he has forgotten. A stolen memory of a girl, a pact, and a curse. 9 years ago, the young Taito had met Saito Himea, the eldest vampire, and made a pact with her. Now, Taito's memories are about to be restored, and he will remember the girl which has been kidnapped and kept imprisoned for the past 9 years, waiting for him to free her. [from anidb]
My First Impressions: Based on the first couple of eps, this show is dumb in that it's very poorly structured. It goes through the summary and then stuff starts happening but nothing is explained. NOTHING. From the looks of it, ep3 goes into every school type episodes too. <not continuing unless recommended>
Link: anidb

Kami-sama Dolls - 13 eps
Groups: Doki Fansubs, Chihiro-Fansubs
Summary: Kuga Kyouhei, after moving away to Tokyo from his old town to get away from the events that happened, is on a goukon with his friends, including his old neighbor, Shiba. After drinking for a whole night, he and Shiba discover a dead, bloody, body in the elevator. He is told by his younger sister, Utao with her Kamisama Doll, that Aki, an old friend, and his Doll, are the culprits responsible. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <coming soon?>
Other Comments: <Ice> Kamisama Dolls reminds of Narutaru, which worries me a bit ^^, Still going to watch it though.
Link: ANN

Kami-sama no Memo-chou - 12+ eps
Groups: Unlimited Translation Works, Chihiro-Fansubs, Tokimeki Subs
Summary: The story revolves around Narumi Fujishima an ordinary high school boy who remain isolated from his fellow classmates.One afternoon fellow classmate Ayaka Shinozaki invites Narumi to join the gardening club and introduces him a reclusive detective named Alice. Alice hires Narumi as an assisant and put him to work solving the srtange mystories of Angel fix an illegal drug. Little does he know it could put him and Ayaka in serious trouble. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: Somehow neither the characters nor the plot appealed to me in any way in ep 1. No matter how absurd, the characters just don't seem that interesting, flat and not dynamic I guess. The plot moves too slow for my tastes. It reminds me of last season's detective anime but with a more talkative girl. <not conitnuing unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Manyuu Hiken-chou - ? eps
Groups: SubDesu, Hiryuu Fansubs & Kira-Fansub
Summary: It is currently the Taiheimeji Era. It is a reign ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate. Inside this shogunate, there is a group of warriors that support the government. They are the Manyuu Clan. In this current era, breasts mean everything. If you have breasts, you are guaranteed wealth and popularity. If you lack them, you are rarely considered "human". Members of the Manyuu Clan help raise the future big breasts. Written on a secret scroll possessed by the clan, there is said to be various techniques on how to grow big and beautiful breasts. Chifusa is to be successor of the clan. However, she takes the secret scroll and runs away with it, hoping to fight against the cruel world that the Manyuu Clan has created...
My First Impressions: <not watching>.
Link: ANN

Mawaru Penguin Drum - 24 eps
Groups: gg Fansubs
Summary: Himari only has a few months to live at most. Her two brothers, Shouma and Kanburi(?) are taking care of her and decide to do whatever she wants for the day. While at the aquarium, she suddenly collapses and dies. However, she is resurrected by an unknown power who tells the brothers they must retrieve the Penguin Drum and pay the price for her continued life.
My First Impressions: I've written the summary based on ep 1 and honestly, so far I have no idea what's happening. The art and animation is a little different, somewhat reminicient of Bokugamonogatari(?). Definitely need another ep or two to further comment.
Other Comments: <Ice> Mawaru Penguindrum is funny, but not sure where the story is going at all.
Link: ANN

Mayo Chiki! - 12+ eps
Groups: Ayako, WhyNot?, Doki Fansubs
Summary: 17 year old Konoe Subaru is the butler of classmate Suzutsuki Kanade. One day, classmate Sakamoto Kinjirou discovers that Konoe is actually a girl. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: This just strikes me as typical harem ecchi anime with a minor twist. <not continuing unless recommended>
Other Comments: <Ice> Mayo Chiki is about what I expected, though the started a bit differently than the manga.
Link: ANN

Morita-san wa Mukuchi - 12+ eps
Groups: SHiN-gx Fansubs, Hadena-Subs, HiNA, Ruri Subs
Summary: Mayu Morita is a high school girl who rarely speaks, not because she doesn't like to talk nor because she has nothing to say, but because she thinks too much before speaking, thus losing altogether the timing to speak. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Natsume Yuujinchou San (TV 3) - 13+ eps
Groups: Hatsuyuki Fansubs
Summary: Natsume Takashi has been able to see yokai since his early days. His grandmother, Reiko, possessed the Yujin-chou, a list of names of yokai sworn to fealty. Ever since Takashi inherited the list, he has been constantly attacked by yokai. Takashi, however, has decided to return to the yokai their names. Together with his self-proclaimed bodyguard Nyanko, Takashi has met and come to know many yokai. [from anidb]
Link: anidb

No. 6 - 11? eps
Groups: gg Fansubs, Doki Fansubs, Ruri Subs
Summary: The story is set in No. 6, a future model city in 2013. Raised as a top-ranking elite since the age of 2, a boy named Shion lives in an exclusive area in No. 6. On the night of his 12th birthday, he rescues a boy who calls himself Nezumi (Rat). Nezumi ran away from the city's Special Security Area. From that moment on, Shion's life is changed forever... [from anidb]
My First Impressions: Definitely need another ep or two to comment further, but so far the characters are a bit weird, but also seem interesting.
Other Comments: <Ice> No. 6 I am kind of lost on, but the chracters are decent and I'm curious for more. Reminds of of Jyu-Oh-Sei's style, but different background art. Maybe the same, or similar style, character art.
Link: anidb

Nurarihyon no Mago: Sennen Makyou (S2) - 12+ eps
Groups: Darksoul-Fansubs, WhyNot?, Hatsuyuki Fansub

Nyanpire The Animation - 12+ eps
Groups: AnimeOne, WhyNot?
Summary: An abandoned kitty is saved by a vampire by giving him a few drops of his own blood. Granted with eternal life, Nyanpire now lives a domestic life with a girl named Misaki. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Ro-Kyu-Bu! - 12+ eps
Groups: Hatsuyuki Fansubs & Hadena-Subs, Doki Fansubs, Hiryuu Fansubs
Summary: Subaru Hasegawa is a high school freshman, he joins the basketball team but soon finds out the team is inactive because the captain is being suspected as a lolicon. He miraculously is entangled with the job of being the coach of an elementary schools basketball team. With these girls and their love for basketball Subaru will have a hard time getting acknowledged by each of them. [from ANN]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: ANN

Sacred Seven - 12+ eps
Groups: gg Fansubs, Shini-Subs
Summary: The stage is a certain port city within the Kantou region. There resides Tandouji Aruma, who lives a lonely and solitary life. One day, he is approached by Aiba Ruri who asks for his help, for the power of the Sacred Seven which resides within Aruma. However, Aruma turns her away. In the past, Aruma had hurt people with that power. Since that moment, he had foresworn it. But when the peaceful city is attacked by a monster, Aruma reluctantly decides to use the Sacred Seven. However, his powers go berserk and the situation becomes even more dire. At that moment, Ruri comes to his aid. [from anidb]
My First Impressions: Seems like your usual delinquent has super powers he doesn't understand and then ends up using them to fight evil things. Almost seems like your usual ranger-type show except that it involves the rich girl and jewels involved. <not continuing unless recommended>
Other Comments: <Ice> Sacred Seven has promise so long as it doesn't go the route of Mai Hime and Dragonaut.
Link: anidb

Usagi Drop - 12+ eps
Groups: Doki Fansubs, Hatsuyuki Fansubs, Chihiro-Fansubs, Taka Fansubs
Summary: Going home for his grandfather's funeral, thirty-year-old bachelor Daikichi is floored to discover that the old man had an illegitimate child with a younger lover! The rest of his family is equally shocked and embarrassed by this surprise development, and not one of them wants anything to do with the silent little girl, Rin. In a fit of angry spontaneity, Daikichi decides to take her in himself! But will living with this overgrown teenager of man help Rin come out of her shell? And hang on, won't this turn of events spell doom for Daikichi's love life?! [from anidb]
My First Impressions: Seems cute. The characters seem like the type that can grow. Definitely slice of life style, but I'm intrigued. The animation and art are good too. But I generally prefer this kind of story in manga form. <continuing in manga format>
Other Comments: <Ice> Usagi Drop I'm getting, though not really watching since it is following the manga nearly exactly, but the story is good.
Link: anidb

Uta no Prince-sama - Maji Love 1000% - 12+ eps
Groups: WhyNot?
Summary: Due to her admiration of popular idol HAYATO, Nanami Haruka dreams of becoming a music producer. For this reason, she enrolls in the music producer course of Saotome Academy. At this Academy, she will be paired with someone from the idol course. Together, the pair will work together until graduation. When she arrives at Saotome, she soon discovers that there are six extremely dashing guys she can potentially partner with. [from anidb]
My First Impressions: So I decided to give it a try and... the singing is not very good, and the main character's eyes are creepy. The only thing going for it is all the bishie boys XD
Link: anidb

Yuru Yuri - 12+ eps
Groups: SHiN-gx Fansubs
Summary: Four fun-loving schoolgirls take over the former room of a tea ceremony club for their own "Gorakubu" (amusement club). [from anidb]
My First Impressions: <not watching unless recommended>
Link: anidb

Useful Links:
envirosphere - list of all new unlicensed releases
Baka-Updates - list of all releases (DVD and fansubs)
anidb - anime database, similar to animenfo
animenfo - anime database, some manga too
Anime News Network - news and anime/manga encyclopedia
Black-rogue - forums with reviews (by someone I know)
AnimeSuki - unlicensed BT database, forum includes current series dicussion
tokyotosho - BT for anime/manga including raws
Anime Planet - anime recommendation database (not the best for new series, but great in general for summaries, screenshots, and recommendations)
MangaNews - list of all new unlicensed manga releases
Baka-Updates Manga - list of all new manga releases