{"id":150886,"date":"2024-12-22T00:52:18","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T00:52:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/starcrossedanime.com\/?p=56437"},"modified":"2024-12-22T00:52:18","modified_gmt":"2024-12-22T00:52:18","slug":"winter-2025-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamefootballmobileanimeiphone.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/22\/winter-2025-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter 2025 Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wooper:<\/b><\/span> Thanks for clicking on what may be Star Crossed Anime\u2019s shortest season preview ever! We\u2019ve got just one author handling things this time, and he is looking forward to shockingly few shows this winter. Of the dozen sequels that will begin airing in January, none of them are of interest to me; only one<\/s> two of the eight<\/s> nine upcoming isekai series look remotely watchable; and all the school-based rom-coms seem bound for the dustbin of anime history. These opinions stem in part from my time-weathered perspective as a fan, so maybe you readers can salvage my early 2025 by voting for some gems in our quarterly poll, which you\u2019ll find at the end of this post. And hey, if the season turns out to be truly irredeemable, there\u2019s always our backlogs to work on!<\/p>\n

Middling Expectations<\/span><\/h1>\n

Akuyaku Reijou Tensei Ojisan<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> Ajia-do
\nDirector:<\/b> Tetsuya Takeuchi
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Shingo Irie
\nSource:<\/b> Manga<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> A middle-aged civil servant is reborn as the villainess of an otome game his daughter used to play.<\/p>\n

As mentioned above, there are nine isekai anime airing this season, but \u201cFrom Bureaucrat to Villainess\u201d is one of only two that interest me. Rather than some high school loser, the subject of its reincarnation plot is a 52 year old man, and what\u2019s more, he\u2019s trapped in the body of a teenage girl, whose previously arrogant reputation he works to reverse upon his rebirth. I haven\u2019t sampled the manga, but it seems clear from the PV that all the usual otome trappings will appear here: a student council full of beautiful boys (all of whom will fall in love with the newly possessed villainess), a kindly but not particularly charismatic heroine, the aforementioned villainess sporting massive blonde ringlets, etc. Whether or not the comedy of the protagonist\u2019s body\/mind mismatch amuses me, I\u2019ll still be interested due to the involvement of director Tetsuya Takeuchi, who\u2019s played critical roles on recent series like Hinamatsuri and Tengoku Daimakyou. This is his first time heading up a TV anime, but he previously occupied the director\u2019s chair on the Yuri Seijin Naoko-san OVAs from the early 2010s, which are still revered in Japan for their ambitious animation. My guess is that Takeuchi\u2019s name has enough pull to attract a solid team for Akuyaku Reijou\u2019s production, so I look forward to some visual flourishes here and there in the opening episodes.<\/p>\n

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Baban Baban Ban Vampire<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> Gaina
\nDirector:<\/b> Itsurou Kawasaki
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Itsurou Kawasaki
\nSource:<\/b> Manga<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> A vampire employed at a public bathhouse strives to protect the virginity of the bathhouse owner\u2019s teenage son.<\/p>\n

Studio Gaina hasn\u2019t produced one work of note since its establishment in 2015 (under the name Fukushima Gainax), and I\u2019m under no illusion that Baban Baban Ban Vampire will snap their losing streak. The title, poster, and premise have conspired to earn my attention, however, so onto the season preview it goes. A vampire protecting a target\u2019s \u201cpurity\u201d until they reach adulthood can hardly be called a fresh concept, but if executed with a satirical slant, it could be a funny one, and a quick perusal of the manga\u2019s first chapter indicates that this series doesn\u2019t take itself seriously. The central character is open about his vampirism, but his employers at the bathhouse don\u2019t believe him – nor do they buy his claims of having met (and possibly killed) Oda Nobunaga, Osamu Dazai, and Kurt Cobain over the course of his nearly 500 year lifespan. The BL element also seems to be comedic in nature, with Mr. Vampire getting a Hisoka-style boner while imagining the delicious blood of the bathhouse owner\u2019s 15 year old son. No doubt most of you who just read that sentence just crossed this show off your to-watch list, but depending on its direction, I think there\u2019s room for BBBV to provide some amusement before it hits one of the dozen landmines it\u2019s laid out for itself.<\/p>\n

Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> Bind
\nDirector:<\/b> Ayumu Uwano
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Kazuyuki Fudeyasu
\nSource:<\/b> Manga<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> A teenage girl who loves reading to children is convinced to join her tiny island high school\u2019s broadcasting club.<\/p>\n

The most promising thing about this show, at least in my mind, is that the source manga\u2019s story was written by Ayano Takeda, who also penned the Hibike Euphonium novels. That\u2019s no guarantee that Hanashura (\u201cFlower and Asura\u201d) will be worth a watch, of course – it\u2019s a school club show, and those are hit and miss – but at least it comes from an author with a real interest in human drama. The first PV<\/span><\/a> reflects that interest nicely, with an emotional reading from the main cast member, plus a piano-forward musical accompaniment and an abundance of evocative symbolism (including a mass of vines that restrain the reader as she struggles to break free). I\u2019m also curious about how the small scale setting will factor into the story – perhaps the club will eventually broadcast to the mainland, prompting faraway listeners to visit the island and help revitalize their economy? This will be my first Studio Bind anime, and while their other TV work has been too risque for my tastes, they certainly have a reputation as a strong production house, so I\u2019m looking forward to seeing what they (and first time director Ayumu Uwano) can do.<\/p>\n

Honey Lemon Soda<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> J.C. Staff
\nDirector:<\/b> Hiroshi Nishikiori
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Akiko Waba
\nSource:<\/b> Manga<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> A high school wallflower falls for a popular classmate after he accidentally soaks her with his soft drink.<\/p>\n

There are a handful of shounen-oriented romcoms airing this season, but I\u2019m not previewing any of them because their premises are overly familiar: two high schoolers get married in secret, cute girl tries to amuse stoic classmate, boy crushes on girl with difficult dialect, etc. So why am I bothering to draw attention to Honey Lemon Soda, which looks to be a by the numbers shoujo romance? Good question – to be honest, I don\u2019t really have an answer. As a shoujo fan, I\u2019m just hoping for it to be better than Hananoi-kun, that underwhelming entry in the same subgenre from last spring. The schlocky boy band soundtrack in Lemon Soda\u2019s second PV, combined with the female lead\u2019s instantaneous adoration of her protective crush (whom she declares to be \u201ceverything to her\u201d), have me doubting that the show will survive my weekly rotation. Veteran director Nishikiori is well and truly over the hill, compounding my cloudy outlook. Still, as long as the audience response is sufficient to keep the demand for shoujo adaptations alive, I\u2019ll be satisfied.<\/p>\n

Sorairo Utility<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> Yostar Pictures
\nDirector:<\/b> Kengo Saitou
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Yuu Satou
\nSource:<\/b> Original<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> A high school girl gets into golf in an attempt to stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n

Like last season\u2019s Mecha-Ude, Sorairo Utility began life as a one-shot OVA before making the jump to a twelve-shot series. Having seen that standalone episode, I can tell you\u2026 basically nothing that you couldn\u2019t already glean from the show\u2019s promotional material. We\u2019re dealing with cute girls hitting cute balls here, with an emphasis on the two older girls\u2019 golf education of the younger protagonist (she\u2019s the scribbly-eyed one pictured above). I like both sports shows and shows that center female friendship, so I\u2019m down to give this one a try, though the OVA was quite lightweight in its presentation, needing multiple montages to get through its 15 scant minutes, so I\u2019m not expecting a whole lot from the TV version. First time director Kengo Saitou has a background with Studio Trigger, though, so maybe he\u2019ll make a few calls to talented buddies of his during the series\u2019 production? Then again, that seems like too big an ask, so I\u2019ll settle for improved 3DCG golf balls during the long drive shots.<\/p>\n

Sequel Showcase<\/h2>\n

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Top left:<\/b> The Apothecary Diaries
\nTop right:<\/b> My Happy Marriage
\nBottom left:<\/b> Solo Leveling
\nBottom right:<\/b> Dr. Stone: Science Future<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> Did you love these anime the first time around? If so, here\u2019s more. If not, too bad!<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no point in pretending that I know anything about the upcoming seasons of these four anime. I watched a full 24 episode order of Dr. Stone when it first came out, but having missed multiple arcs since then, the series\u2019 tech has surely progressed far beyond that of my stopping point. Apothecary Diaries fell off my watchlist precisely halfway through its first season, and based on the sequel\u2019s PV, it doesn\u2019t look like the status quo has changed much since then. (I know Amun will be watching, though, since he was sufficiently enamored with season 1 to push it onto our Top 10 list for 2023<\/span><\/a>.) As for the other two shows pictured above, I watched a single episode of each and dipped, though I\u2019m glad they\u2019re getting continuations, since their demographics are so different that many fans will enjoy one or the other. I also want to mention the new installment in the off-the-wall Aquarion mecha franchise, subtitled \u201cMyth of Emotions\u201d – I was originally planning to preview it, but the super-deformed character designs put me off that idea. I\u2019ll still watch the premiere to see what it\u2019s all about, but given the show\u2019s visual style, I doubt it\u2019s interested in replicating the dumb fun of something like Aquarion EVOL.<\/p>\n

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Shows We\u2019re Anticipating<\/span><\/h1>\n

Sakamoto Days<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> TMS Entertainment
\nDirector:<\/b> Masaki Watanabe
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Taku Kishimoto
\nSource:<\/b> Manga<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> After settling down as a family man and convenience store manager, a legendary former hitman must avoid getting sucked back into the criminal underworld.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a fair bit of negativity surrounding this adaptation, despite Sakamoto Days being a well-liked Shounen Jump property. The Japanese comments under the most recent trailer<\/span><\/a>, for example, bemoan its lack of impressive cuts, forecasting an \u201cordinary and boring\u201d anime despite the source material\u2019s \u201cinteresting and attractive action scenes.\u201d Similarly pessimistic comments can be found on English language boards, but surely there will be a major comedic component to the show, given its \u2018assassin works at the local conbini\u2019 premise, right? If so, perhaps unspectacular visuals will be able to carry it for a while – I certainly hope so, since this season has few other watchable prospects. Looking closer at the PV linked above, it\u2019s the compositing that has me scratching my head, rather than a dearth of sakuga; the off-balance color gradation and ugly texture filter used for shadows make me think I\u2019ll be disappointed for a different reason than the fans with Jujutsu Kaisen-sized expectations. I\u2019ve dealt with hundreds of goofy post-processing choices in plenty of prior series, though, so I\u2019m choosing to approach Sakamoto Days\u2019 premiere with positivity. If it truly ends up being hamstrung by \u201cordinary and boring\u201d animation, feel free to rub my nose in it.<\/p>\n

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Highest Expectations<\/span><\/h1>\n

Zenshuu<\/h2>\n

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Studio:<\/b> MAPPA
\nDirector:<\/b> Mitsue Yamazaki
\nSeries composition:<\/b> Kimiko Ueno
\nSource:<\/b> Original<\/p>\n

The Premise:<\/b> An up-and-coming anime director dies and is reincarnated in the world of her favorite animated film.<\/p>\n

When information about Zenshuu first made its way online, the show\u2019s (rather ordinary) synopsis made it seem like a Shirobako-esque peek behind the anime industry curtain. The first PV supported this reading, featuring an unsociable director taking on far too much work in the production of an animated film. Then the second trailer dropped, and the director character was nowhere to be seen – instead, we got footage from an in-universe fantasy movie with a sword-wielding hero, epic choral music, and monsters aplenty. Select scenes from this fictional film could be glimpsed in the first PV, but the reason for the sudden shift in focus still wasn\u2019t clear – until the third PV, when Zenshuu laid its cards on the table. What we have here is an isekai series (hence the \u201cedit\u201d to this post\u2019s opening paragraph) where the protagonist is an anime director rather than a teenage loner or a comedically ill-suited candidate for reincarnation. And it seems as though, by using her drawing expertise, our heroine has the ability to alter the film within whose plot she\u2019s now living, which is a promising plot device. As far as the show\u2019s production goes, there are morsels of mouthwatering animation on display across its multiple trailers, and art director Akio Shimada\u2019s affiliation with Studio Pablo means the backgrounds ought to be top notch. I\u2019ve enjoyed some of series director Mitsue Yamazaki\u2019s output over the past decade, as well (most notably Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and Maou-jou de Oyasumi), so Zenshuu is my number one pick for the winter season.<\/p>\n

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