Written by: Justin on October 14, 2012.

Fall Anime Season 2012

   It’s been awhile since I’ve been into the Anime scene. Ever since Tiger & Bunny, I’ve yet to see an anime pique my interest enough to keep me watching more than 2 episodes. But this season is shaping up to be real interesting for those of us into story-driven and/or darker animes.

   First on my list, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure”. A recreation of the original manga/anime that’s looking more beautiful than the original. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this classic, our hero, Jonathan Joestar (known as JoJo) starts as a wealthy child in England during the Victorian Era. Spanning over several generations of the Joestar family, this Shonen Jump masterpiece brings back all the memories and emotions I had the first time I read it; my admiration for the loveable JoJo, my hate for the conniving Dio, and love for the story in general. For any fans of Shonen Jump, I’d give this a shot.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vfS_y7qO28&w=560&h=315]

Next is “Zetsuen no Tempest”. An anime revolving around three junior-high students; a brother-sister combo and the main character, Mahiro Fuwa. After an unexplained incident, Mahiro’s best friend runs away from town without a word. At the same time, another storyline is taking place introducing magic, rich mafia-looking families, and being abandoned on a magical island no one can see because of magic.

A strange combination, I know, but the end of the first episode tied them in so perfectly that it left me wanting more.  Though I prefer not to explain much because of how interesting this particular anime is. This anime also features an amazing musical score. Showing several classical orchestral pieces, it ties together with the anime exceedingly well. For any fans of magic, mystery, and intriguing stories, I’d definitely recommend this.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp0AHQGv8fk&w=560&h=315]

Third is “Magi – Labyrinth of Magic”. A story revolving around a small boy named Aladdin, who wields a magical flute that, when played, can summon an enormous “Djinn” to aid him. Aladdin is a child who is apparently unknowing of the ways of the world and, from the get-go, meets an older merchant boy named Alibaba who he gets into trouble at every turn.

Taking place in the old Arabic times, slaves are a common thing, but one slave stands out to our friend Alibaba and it seems he might just save her? This title has a good flair of old-school fantasy with a charming side of comedy. The art style randomly changes during comedic moments and always caught me off-guard for a good laugh. Also, Aladdin’s extreme infatuation with breasts is pretty funny too. . .

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC3TSDcq9bY&w=560&h=315]

Next is a really dark one, “Psycho-Pass”. Taking place in the future, this is an anime where emotions and criminal intent can be read through a device called the “Psycho Pass”. Anyone who has some kind of bad emotion or an intent to harm, steal, or destroy something or someone, is considered to have a high “Criminal Coefficient” and must be dealt with. The threats are supposed to be neutralized before they become too dangerous and are ordered by our computer overlords whether they should be neutralized or killed.

Our main characters are a newbie female investigator and a man they call an Enforcer, someone who’s “Criminal Coefficient” is in the gray area and is selected to deal with other criminals. This anime’s 3D art and technology is reminiscent of “Ghost in the Shell” with character designs by Amano Akira himself  (creator of “Hitman Reborn!”). The dark storyline offers a good helping of moral ambiguity that not many things, anime or otherwise, can portray anymore. For anyone that liked “Ghost in the Shell” or thought “I might like it, if it weren’t boring”, Psycho-Pass shows a lot of potential for you. I will definitely follow this one.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0UAjpJuKcs&w=560&h=315]

Lastly, we have “Shin Sekai Yori – From the New World”. A mysterious anime seemingly set in a timeline 1,000 years in the future. Where piety and deity are revered and used more than science and technology. From the first episode alone, we don’t know much about this world and are only shown a few flashbacks (some pretty gory) of children with extraordinary powers that looks like kinesis. We later find out that it is in fact “The Spirit of Blessing” that gives them the ability to use strange powers and that children attend academies to learn to hone these fascinating powers.

It’s hard to explain the premise of the anime (or do it any justice) in one episode, let alone one paragraph; but there seem to be monsters (known as “Copy Cats” to the younger generation) that prey on the special children. The artwork is amazing as well, almost like a Miyazaki film but with a little of the modern-day anime thrown in. This one takes the cake for most original concept. For lovers of mystery, original concepts, and horror this one is definitely worth watching!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCercp1jDfE&w=560&h=315]

Remember that these OPINIONS are all based on the first one to two episodes of the animes. Also remember that most, if not all, of these can be seen on CrunchyRoll.